Global — Ekhbary News Agency
The FIFA World Cup Round of 16 intensifies Monday with two compelling matchups: Portugal against Spain, renewing a long-standing rivalry, and the United States facing Belgium for a quarterfinal berth. Opta’s supercomputer has released its latest predictions for these high-stakes encounters. Sunday’s play delivered significant drama, seeing England narrowly defeat Mexico and Norway stunning Brazil, a match that notably concluded Neymar’s international career. For what it's worth, these early predictions often add an extra layer of intrigue to the knockout stages.
Iberian Rivals Face Off
Portugal and Spain share a history of fiercely competitive major tournament clashes, with five previous meetings resulting in one win each and three draws. Their 2018 World Cup group-stage encounter famously ended in a 3-3 draw, featuring a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick. Opta’s supercomputer favors Spain for this elimination tie, giving Luis de la Fuente’s side a 49.2 percent chance of winning in normal time across 25,000 simulations. Portugal holds a 25.6 percent chance, with 25.2 percent indicating a draw requiring extra time.
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USA's Challenge Against Belgium
The United States faces a historically challenging fixture against Belgium. After an initial 3-0 victory in the 1930 World Cup, the Americans have lost their subsequent six encounters, including a recent 5-2 friendly defeat. Opta’s simulations, however, suggest a tight contest for Monday. The USA has a 37.2 percent chance of victory in normal time, only slightly behind Belgium’s 36.5 percent probability. A 26.3 percent likelihood exists for the match to go into extra time or penalties after 90 minutes.
Sunday's Quarterfinalists Emerge
England secured their third consecutive World Cup quarterfinal appearance with a thrilling 3-2 win over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, propelled by a Jude Bellingham double and a Harry Kane penalty. "It was a crazy game," Kane remarked, "We had to fight. We found a way." Earlier, Norway delivered a major upset, defeating Brazil 2-1. This match marked the end of Neymar’s international career; the 34-year-old, Brazil’s all-time top scorer, announced his retirement. Erling Haaland’s two goals were instrumental in Norway’s victory. FIFA also faced controversy regarding Folarin Balogun's eligibility against Belgium.
