🏆Round of 16 draw! Messi-Salah, CR7-Yamal, Haaland-Brazil: best side?

🏆Round of 16 draw! Messi-Salah, CR7-Yamal, Haaland-Brazil: best side? From Canada-Morocco to Portugal-Spain, via Brazil-Norway and Argentina-Egypt: the World Cup is entering its hottest phase. France and Spain start as the frontrunners, but the new format has already shown that it gives no one any discounts. 💡  Want to stay up to date on everything happening in the USA, Mexico, and Canada? Don’t forget to bookmark the  W orld Cup!  To follow the tournament, search for “World Cup” on OneFootball and click the star next to it so you won’t miss a single story! There are sixteen teams left. The extra-large World Cup format, wanted by Gianni Infantino and launched with 48 national teams, has already said goodbye to thirty-two sides: some in shocking fashion, like Germany and the Netherlands; others with a smile despite elimination, like Curaçao and above all Cape Verde; and others still with heavy regrets to carry with them, from Croatia to Senegal to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Starting today, the old “real” World Cup begins: the round of 16, what used to be the first knockout round. There are fifteen days to go until the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey, and the bracket, after a first knockout round full of surprises, has already taken shape. Eight matches in four days, from July 4 to 7 — overnight between July 7 and 8 in Italy — will decide the eight national teams that will keep their run going toward the quarterfinals. 🏆 The bracket 📅 Round of 16 schedule Saturday, July 4, 7 PM Canada - Morocco Saturday, July 4, 11 PM Paraguay - France Sunday, July 5, 10 PM Brazil - Norway Monday, July 6, 2 AM Mexico - England Monday, July 6, 9 PM Portugal - Spain Tuesday, July 7, 2 AM United States - Belgium Tuesday, July 7, 6 PM Argentina - Egypt Tuesday, July 7, 10 PM Switzerland - Colombia 👀 The “better” side of the bracket If we have to point to the toughest path, it’s hard to look beyond the section that could lead to a quarterfinal between France and Morocco and a potential semifinal with Spain or Portugal. Les Bleus are the team that have given the clearest impression of superiority, Spain are the most balanced side technically and tactically, Morocco have recent big-tournament experience, and Portugal still have individuals capable of turning a night on its head. The side featuring Brazil, Norway, Mexico, and England is harder to read but more dangerous: Haaland could be the decisive factor, Mexico have home support and defensive solidity, England have Kane but not consistency yet, and Brazil have talent and Ancelotti but also a few too many moments of struggle. The most interesting path, perhaps, is Argentina’s. On paper, Egypt and then one of Switzerland or Colombia represent a less intimidating route than an immediate clash with France, Spain, or Brazil. But after what they saw against Cape Verde, La Albiceleste know they can’t afford any calculations. Messi scores, but the World Cup does not forgive. And from today on, every mistake means a flight home. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.