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The FIFA World Cup round of ۱۶ on Sunday has two heavyweight ties as Brazil face Norway in New Jersey before cohosts Mexico take on England in Mexico City.
Here’s the full schedule, Opta’s predictions and the latest news from the tournament, including Morocco’s march into the quarterfinals and France’s fiery win over Paraguay.
What is Sunday’s schedule?
- Brazil vs Norway: ۴pm (۲۰:۰۰ GMT) at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States
- Mexico vs England: ۶pm (۰۰:۰۰ GMT into Monday) at Mexico City Stadium
What are the predictions for Brazil vs Norway?
Brazil will be hoping to end an unwanted trend when they face Norway in the round of ۱۶.
The teams have met four times previously in all competitions, and Norway have yet to lose the fixture. The Scandinavians have won twice and drawn twice, including a memorable ۲-۱ victory over Brazil at the ۱۹۹۸ World Cup.
Despite those historical trends, the Opta supercomputer calculates Brazil as the clear favourites. After running ۲۵,۰۰۰ pre-match simulations, Brazil won in regulation time in ۵۳.۶ percent of the outcomes.
Norway claimed victory within ۹۰ minutes in ۲۲.۴ percent of the simulations while ۲۴ percent ended level after normal time, sending the tie to extra time and potentially penalties.
What are the predictions for Mexico vs England?
England and Mexico have crossed paths only once before at the World Cup, and that meeting dates back nearly ۶۰ years.
The encounter came during the group stage of the ۱۹۶۶ tournament when tournament hosts England secured a ۲-۰ victory, thanks to goals from Bobby Charlton and Roger Hunt. The Three Lions went on to lift the trophy that summer, claiming the only World Cup title in their history.
England have also enjoyed the upper hand in the fixture outside the World Cup, winning each of their last four meetings with Mexico. Those victories all came in international friendlies played from ۱۹۸۶ to ۲۰۱۰.
Opta’s supercomputer predicted one of the closest contests of the round of ۱۶ with neither side holding a decisive advantage.
England enter the tie with a favourable historical record against Mexico, but El Tri’s home support and familiarity with the conditions help narrow the gap.
Across ۲۵,۰۰۰ simulations, England won in normal time ۴۰.۶ percent of the time, while Mexico did so in ۳۱.۵ percent. A further ۲۷.۹ percent of simulations ended level after ۹۰ minutes, meaning the match would require extra time and possibly a penalty shootout.
Remaining round of ۱۶ schedule:
- Brazil vs Norway: Sunday, New York New Jersey Stadium, ۲۰:۰۰ GMT
- Mexico vs England: Sunday, Mexico City Stadium, ۰۰:۰۰ GMT going into Monday
- Portugal vs Spain: Monday, Dallas Stadium, ۱۹:۰۰ GMT
- USA vs Belgium: Monday, Seattle Stadium, ۰۰:۰۰ GMT going into Tuesday
- Argentina vs Egypt: Tuesday, Atlanta Stadium, ۱۶:۰۰ GMT
- Switzerland vs Colombia: Tuesday, BC Place Vancouver, ۲۰:۰۰ GMT
What else is happening?
Morocco’s historic quarterfinal run
Morocco reached the World Cup quarterfinals for a second consecutive tournament after defeating cohosts Canada ۳-۰ on Saturday with Azzedine Ounahi scoring twice to end the North Americans’ historic run.
The final score did not reflect the balance of the game. Canada controlled much of the first half, creating several promising chances while keeping Morocco from registering their first shot until the ۲۸th minute.
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi was visibly frustrated on the touchline before the break as misplaced passes and sloppy errors disrupted his side’s rhythm, but the team responded with a much-improved display after half-time.
“It’s a World Cup match, and these are difficult games with teams playing for their lives,” Ouahbi said. “We reacted very well in the second half, especially in the duels and in winning the second balls.
Was Paraguay’s play ‘dirty’?
France captain Kylian Mbappe insisted his side were prepared to match Paraguay’s physical approach after securing a hard-fought ۱-۰ victory on Saturday to reach the World Cup quarterfinals.
Mbappe, who converted the decisive penalty in the ۷۰th minute after Desire Doue was fouled in the area, dismissed the suggestion that France were unsettled by Paraguay’s aggressive tactics.
“They thought we’d come out in tuxedos, trying fancy tricks and one-twos,” Mbappe said. “But we know how to play dirty football too. If that’s what the game requires, we have no problem doing it.”
The winning penalty was awarded only after a VAR review with France coach Didier Deschamps questioning referee Ilgiz Tantashev’s handling of the increasingly physical contest.
“We received three yellow cards while they kept fouling us throughout the game,” Deschamps said. “Every team is entitled to play in its own way, but I could have done without some of the insults from the opposition.”
Mexico’s fortress awaits England
Mexico will look to end a ۴۰-year wait to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals when they face England on Sunday, backed by one of international football’s strongest home records.
The cohosts have lost only two official matches at Mexico City Stadium since it opened in ۱۹۶۶ with the last defeat coming against Honduras in a World Cup qualifier in ۲۰۱۳.
Former Mexico striker Hugo Sanchez believes the stadium could once again make the difference.
“The stadium is a monster; that explains the high number of wins and draws and the few losses, which were just accidents. We approach this with optimism because we know it’s England, but if we play the way we did against Ecuador, we can beat them.”
Mexico’s World Cup record at the stadium reflects that dominance. Across the ۱۹۷۰, ۱۹۸۶ and ۲۰۲۶ tournaments, El Tri have played ۱۰ World Cup matches there, winning eight and drawing two. In this year’s tournament, they have beaten South Africa, Czechia and Ecuador in Mexico City without conceding a goal while also defeating South Korea in Guadalajara.
