From Brazil to U.S., Spain: Why every round-of-32 ...
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- Argentina enters the round-of-32 as Group J winner (2-0-0) with 15.9% Opta title odds and a projected July 3 matchup against Cape Verde; Messi leads the entire tournament with 5 goals and 8 shots on goal after scoring 12 in his last 9 World Cup matches versus 6 in his first 19.
- Brazil tops Group C at 2-1-0 with 7.1% title odds and a projected June 29 meeting with Japan, carried by Vinícius Júnior's 4 goals and 1 assist despite Raphinha's hamstring injury that left Ancelotti relying on a 34-year-old Danilo at fullback.
- The expanded 32-team round-of-32 is the largest knockout field in World Cup history, with matchups projected from June 28 through July 3 and all R32 games hosted in or around Los Angeles.
- Belgium's knockout hopes hinge on Jérémy Doku, who scored all 6 of Belgium's group-stage goals across the two matches he played, while 34-year-old veterans Courtois, De Bruyne, and Meunier anchor an aging golden generation.
- Canada under Jesse Marsch ranks fourth in the tournament in counterattack attempts and second in fast high-win sequences, with a projected June 28 round-of-32 date against South Africa.
- Bosnia & Herzegovina fields the tallest lineup in the tournament — multiple 6-foot-plus players — winning 65% of aerial duels and scoring 3 of 5 goals from set pieces ahead of a projected July 1 meeting with the U.S.
- Cape Verde's draw with Spain and Congo DR's draw with Portugal in group play validated the expanded format's promise that minnows can genuinely take points off the giants before knockout rounds even begin.
Why it matters: The 32-team round-of-32 is the World Cup's biggest structural change in decades, giving minnows like Cape Verde a knockout-round path they would never have had under the old 16-team format. For Argentina, the 15.9% favorite, it's also Messi's likely final World Cup at age 38 — and his 12 goals in the last 9 matches already exceed the 6 he scored in his first 19 combined.
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