Drama defines Round of 32

The inaugural Round of 32 in the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup delivered on every front. There were shocks and surprises, thrilling comebacks, heartbreaking exits and the fall of several giants. 

However, most of the pre-tournament favourites once again booked their places in the Round of 16, with only Germany and the Netherlands suffering unexpected exits.

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Meanwhile, the race for the Golden Boot intensified as several new contenders joined the battle. The rivalry among Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane gathered further momentum, with all four finding the net in the opening knockout round.

Fall of the giants

The Round of 32 began with a major upset as four-time champions Germany lost to Paraguay in a penalty shootout, crashing out of the World Cup at the first knockout hurdle. Germany, who failed to progress beyond the group stage in the previous two editions, once again endured a disappointing campaign. Head coach Julian Nagelsmann resigned immediately after the defeat.

On the same night, the Netherlands also bowed out after another heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Morocco. Although the Dutch were not overwhelming favourites against the sixth-ranked Atlas Lions, they once again became victims of their long-standing penalty shootout woes.

Croatia also suffered an early exit after losing to Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in one of the most dramatic matches of the Round of 32. Four goals were ruled out by VAR, which included Croatia’s last-minute equaliser. The defeat also marked the end of Luka Modric's remarkable World Cup career. After winning silver and bronze medals in the previous two editions, the Croatian legend signed off empty-handed this time.

Big teams survive scares

The Round of 32 was far from straightforward for Brazil, Argentina, England and Portugal, although France and Spain comfortably secured their places in the last 16.

Brazil fell behind against Japan before Gabriel Martinelli's injury-time goal sealed a dramatic comeback victory. England found themselves in a similar situation against DR Congo before Harry Kane's brace rescued the Three Lions.

Portugal also came from behind, with Goncalo Ramos heading home a dramatic injury-time winner.

However, the most captivating contest of the round came between defending champions Argentina and World Cup debutants Cape Verde.

Having drawn all three of their group matches against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, the African side entered the knockout stage full of confidence, and they showed exactly why. Cape Verde fought back twice with two stunning goals before an unfortunate own goal proved the only difference as Argentina edged into the Round of 16.

Hosts continue to shine

All three host nations have enjoyed memorable campaigns so far. Canada, appearing in the knockout stage for the first time, defeated South Africa to register their maiden World Cup knockout victory. The United States comfortably overcame Bosnia and Herzegovina, although they lost in-form forward Folarin Balogun to a red card.

Mexico are also enjoying a dream run after beating Ecuador 2-0 to reach the Round of 16 for the first time since 2018. Along with Spain, they remain one of only two teams yet to concede a goal in the tournament so far.

Asia eliminated, Africa's hopes rest with Morocco and Egypt

Only two of Asia's nine representatives—Japan and Australia—qualified for the knockout stage, but both were eliminated after defeats to Brazil and Egypt respectively, bringing the continent's campaign to an end.

Africa, meanwhile, who began the tournament brilliantly with nine of its ten representatives reaching the Round of 32, saw only Morocco and Egypt progress to the Round of 16. Despite their exits, Senegal, Cape Verde and DR Congo won plenty of admirers with spirited performances and came within moments of making history.

Golden Boot race heats up

Mbappe and Kane each netted a brace to take their tallies to six and five goals respectively, while Haaland's winner against Ivory Coast moved him level with Kane on five.

Messi also got on the scoresheet, scoring in a record eighth consecutive World Cup match. The Argentine captain continues to lead the race with seven goals, taking his overall World Cup tally to 20 goals in 30 matches.

Elsewhere, Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice against Austria to take his tally to four. Vinicius Junior also has four goals, while Cristiano Ronaldo, Ismael Saibari, Julian Quinones, Matheus Cunha and Johan Manzambi have three goals each.

VAR triggers more controversies

Meanwhile, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) played a decisive role in several Round of 32 matches, with some marginal decisions proving crucial. Germany had an extra-time winner against Paraguay ruled out for a soft foul, while Belgium completed a dramatic comeback against Senegal after being awarded a controversial penalty following a lengthy VAR review. Croatia also suffered heartbreak as a 103rd-minute equaliser against Portugal was disallowed for offside after an extended VAR check, sealing Portugal's 2-1 victory.

What's next

The Round of 16 begins tonight with hosts Canada taking on Morocco before Paraguay face France. The winners of those two matches will meet in the quarterfinals in Boston on July 10.

The biggest blockbuster of the round, however, sees Portugal face Spain. The winners will take on either the United States or Belgium in the quarterfinals in Los Angeles on July 11.

Among the other standout fixtures, Brazil will meet Norway, while defending champions Argentina take on Egypt.

England will face hosts Mexico at the iconic Azteca Stadium, where they will have to battle not only a formidable opponent but also the passionate home crowd and history itself. The winners will face either Brazil or Norway in the quarterfinals in Miami on July 12.

Meanwhile, the winners of Argentina and Egypt will meet either Switzerland or Colombia in the quarterfinals in Kansas City on July 12.

When the expanded 48-team tournament got underway, many questioned whether it would produce too many one-sided matches and predictable results. Instead, the introduction of the new Round of 32 has exceeded expectations. Alongside the shocks and surprises, fans witnessed three penalty shootouts, two extra-time finishes and three injury-time winners, making for a thrilling opening knockout round.

If the Round of 32 is any indication, football fans can expect even more drama over the next two weeks as the greatest show on earth heads towards its climax.