World Cup Bracket 2018: Knockout Predictions After Group Stage
The group stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup is complete, and the knockout phase will kick off on Saturday when France take on Argentina in the first game of the last 16.
There are some intriguing ties to look forward to, with Brazil set to face Mexico, England up against Colombia and Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal taking on Uruguay.
Hosts Russia remain in the tournament but face a tough test against Spain, Belgium and Japan will meet, Croatia face Denmark and Sweden go up against Switzerland.
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Last 16 Predictions
France 2-0 Argentina
Uruguay 1-0 Portugal
Spain 2-1 Russia
Croatia 2-0 Denmark
Brazil 3-1 Mexico
Belgium 2-0 Japan
Sweden 1-0 Switzerland
Colombia 1-2 England
The top half of the draw looks the toughest, as it includes France, Argentina, Brazil and Portugal. Les Bleus will take on Argentina in the last 16, and the winner of that match will face Portugal or Uruguay in the quarter-finals.
Brazil look the strongest team left in the competition, but if they are to win the World Cup, they will have to do it the hard way. A tricky test against Mexico awaits in the last 16, and if they do progress, they will expect to face Belgium in the quarter-finals.
If Brazil see off Belgium they would face one of Argentina, France, Portugal and Uruguay in the semi-finals at the Saint Petersburg Stadium. France have an extremely talented squad, and a meeting with Brazil would bring back memories of the 1998 World Cup final, which Les Bleus won 3-0.
The bottom half of the draw looks significantly weaker on paper, with Spain seeming to be the strongest side despite their less-than-convincing tournament.
La Roja have not found goals hard to come by, with Iago Aspas, Isco and Diego Costa all on target, but they have looked vulnerable defensively. Goalkeeper David De Gea has come under pressure for errors against Switzerland in a pre-tournament friendly and Portugal in their opening game in Russia, and they have looked sloppy at the back.
Span will still be expected to beat hosts Russia in the last 16, which should set them up for a quarter-final clash with Croatia. Zlatko Dalic's side won all three group games, including an impressive 3-0 victory over Argentina. If Spain do suffer an upset, it could well come against a talented and hardworking Croatia team.
Colombia and England will also be hoping to make an impact if they can make it into the quarter-finals. The two teams meet in Moscow on Tuesday, with the winner set to face Sweden or Switzerland in the quarters. Those teams are regarded as the weakest in the bottom half of the draw.
The 2018 World Cup has provided plenty of surprises already. And with no outstanding favourite, there are likely to be a few more before the final. Spain and Brazil have the talent and experience to make it all the way to the final at the Luzhniki Stadium but will know there's plenty of work left to do.
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