U-20 World Cup 2017: Round-of-16 Dates, Schedule, Live Stream and Predictions

England play Costa Rica, France meet Italy and hosts South Korea take on Portugal in the best of the round-of-16 ties in the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, beginning on Tuesday, May 30, and concluding on Thursday, June 1.

For the full list of last-16 matches, along with schedule information, visit FIFA.com. Here are the live-stream links: Eurosport Player, Fox Soccer 2Go, fuboTV.

England and Uruguay to Progress on Wednesday

England and Uruguay are two squads oozing quality at this tournament, and both should be expected to progress to the last eight with wins over Costa Rica and Saudi Arabia, respectively, on Wednesday. Uruguay topped Group D ahead of Italy thanks to a mix of defensive solidity and midfield artistry.

The latter quality is best exemplified by precocious schemer Rodrigo Bentancur. He's bound for Juventus this summer, and fans of the Bianconeri should be encouraged by the 19-year-old's classy displays in South Korea.

Bentancur has been likened to Manchester United's Paul Pogba by Boca Juniors boss Guillermo Barros Schelotto. He lauded Bentancur's versatility during an interview with Italian publication Tuttosport (h/t FourFourTwo): "He is a young guy, but he is very talented. He is a midfielder with excellent technique, good runs and someone who is very intelligent. He is physically strong and good in the air. His characteristics are very much like those of Pogba."

Bentancur has been delivering on his promise at this tournament. In particular, he received high marks during Uruguay's last group match, a 0-0 draw with South Africa, per Scouted Football:

"

Scouted's MOTM: Rodrigo Bentancur, 19. 

Bentancur was a welcomed source of class and entertainment with his passing range. #U20WC pic.twitter.com/m1Ced1GEGY

— Scouted Football (@ScoutedFtbl) May 27, 2017"

Expect Bentancur to run the show again and help Uruguay overpower Saudi Arabia to put arguably the most talented squad at the tournament into the quarter-final.

Like Uruguay, England's strength also flows through midfield. Everton's Kieran Dowell has turned some heads with his performances, specifically when scoring the winner to beat hosts South Korea and help the junior Three Lions top Group A.

However, England lost Arsenal midfield gem Ainsley Maitland-Niles with a ankle injury during the win, per James Walker-Roberts of Sky Sports. They are sure to miss the 19-year-old's versatility against a capable Costa Rica squad.

Where England can make the difference is by relying on their talent up top, with Chelsea forward Dominic Solanke and Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin two obvious gems. Expect England to have too much potency in attack for Costa Rica to hold out for 90 minutes.

Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images

Wednesday's games will conclude with surprise package Zambia, who won Group C, taking on Germany. Based on the form, Zambia should have the quality to get through, with Germany yet to truly show their talent in South Korea.

France Will Win Heavyweight Clash on Thursday

France can get past Italy in the marquee match on Thursday. Both teams boast exceptional players in attack, with AS Monaco winger Allan Saint-Maximin a particularly exciting talent for the former.

The 20-year-old scored two terrific individual goals to help Les Bleus beat New Zealand 2-0 in their final group game on Sunday.

Yet Saint-Maximin isn't the only forward player Italy must be wary of. There's also Paris Saint-Germain's 19-year-old striker Jean-Kevin Augustin.

A true powerhouse, Augustin is among the top scorers at the tournament, per Scouted Football:

Of course, the Azzurri also boast their own quality in attack, particularly in the form of prolific duo Riccardo Orsolini and Giuseppe Panico. However, the French haven't just built their success on being free-scoring. They are also yet to concede a goal at the tournament, per FIFA.com.

Expect a well-rounded France to have too much in every area for Italy to handle.

Thursday's games will also see Mexico take on Senegal, while USA meet New Zealand. Expect wins for both the U.S. and El Tri.

Meanwhile, Portugal will need to be at their best to beat the hosts on Tuesday, and a classy Venezuela side led by precocious Watford midfielder Adalberto Penaranda are likely to beat Japan to start the round of 16.

However, Venezuela will need to control winger Ritsu Doan, who has shown star potential during the group stage, according to Squawka's Jake Entwistle:

Overall, the first knockout phase is where the best teams at this World Cup will begin to assert themselves. The likes of France, Uruguay and England are among the most talented squads, so they should be favoured to make their respective ability count.