Here’s who England will face in the round of 32 and all the World Cup knockout games so far.
England has already secured a spot in the World Cup round of 32 before their match against Panama, thanks to some helpful results in other groups. Thomas Tuchel’s team earned four points from their first two games against Croatia and Ghana, which means they’re guaranteed at least one of the eight spots for third-place teams to advance.
Their final position in Group L is still up in the air. If they beat Panama on Saturday and do better than Ghana against Croatia, they could top the group. Right now, the Three Lions have a better goal difference (+1) than Ghana, but Ghana could overtake them if they win big against Croatia at Philadelphia Stadium.
So, who would England play in the round of 32 if they finish first in Group L? In that case, they’d face the third-place team from Groups I, J, or K. At the moment, that team is Senegal. The African Cup of Nations winners, Senegal, had an impressive 5-0 win over Iraq in their last Group I game. If England meets them, it’ll probably be their toughest match so far. But if DR Congo from Group K beats Uzbekistan, they could take Senegal’s place as England’s opponent.
In Group J, Algeria and Austria both have three points, but Austria has a better goal difference. They play each other on Saturday, which will help decide what happens next.
If England finishes second instead, they’ll play the second-place team from Group K. That spot depends on the upcoming game between Colombia and Portugal. Colombia is currently leading the group, and if they don’t lose, England’s next opponent would likely be Portugal—unless DR Congo has a big win over Uzbekistan.
Outside of England’s possible opponents, nine round of 32 matches are already set, including Canada, one of the host nations, who will play South Africa at Los Angeles Stadium on Sunday.
Here are some confirmed round of 32 matches:
– South Africa vs Canada – June 28
– Brazil vs Japan – June 29
– Germany vs Paraguay – June 29
– Netherlands vs Morocco – June 30
– Ivory Coast vs Norway – June 30
– France vs Sweden – June 30
– United States vs Bosnia & Herzegovina – July 2
– Australia vs Egypt – July 3
– Argentina vs Cape Verde – July 3
– Mexico vs Ecuador – July 1
– England vs Senegal – July 1
– Belgium vs South Korea – July 1
– Spain vs Austria – July 2
– Portugal vs Ghana – July 3
– Switzerland vs Iran – July 3
– Colombia vs Croatia – July 4
It’s an exciting time as the knockout stage approaches!