World Cup last 16 Sunday: Haaland's Norway test Brazil, then England face the Azteca and a Mexico yet to concede

[JohnyBlue]

Two huge round of 16 ties today and both carry a proper edge. First Brazil against Norway at MetLife, where Erling Haaland can take Norway further than they have ever been at a World Cup while sitting on five goals in the Golden Boot race. Brazil have reached the last eight quarterfinal stage in a remarkable run of tournaments and start as favourites, but Haaland is exactly the kind of single weapon that turns a favourite's night sour

Then the one the whole tournament has been building to, England against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in the nightcap. Mexico have not conceded a single goal all tournament, they are roared on by a home crowd at altitude that England simply are not used to, and after all the consternation about the fixture and the frosty welcome for England, we finally get the showdown

The context for England is that they came through their group with a comeback win over Croatia and have looked functional rather than frightening, while Mexico ended their long knockout curse and have played every game since like a side with a piano lifted off its back. The altitude and the atmosphere are variables no amount of paper talent fully solves

For Brazil the sub plot is an emotional one, with Neymar back in the fold and the team talking about a sixth World Cup title, and a Norway side that will sit deep, soak pressure and look to spring Haaland on the counter is the kind of awkward puzzle that has undone Brazil before

So call them for the board. Does Haaland have the supporting cast to actually take down Brazil or is he an army of one, can England's quality survive seven thousand feet and eighty odd thousand hostile fans against a defence yet to be breached, and which of these two winners would you least want to draw in the quarters?

World Cup 2026 Bracket Schedule Scores Results Live Updates Round Of 16 130000983sports.yahoo.com

[Leopard85]

Mexico not conceding a single goal all tournament is the stat that should scare England the most, it is not just the altitude and the crowd, that back line has been genuinely elite and nobody has solved it yet

[Sharp Shannon]

Haaland is an army of one and that is the problem for Norway, get him isolated against that Brazil back line and even five goals in the tournament will not be enough, he needs the wingers to turn up

[Rob72]

England at the Azteca has disaster written all over it if they play the way they have so far, functional does not win at altitude against a fortress, they need a level they have not shown

[Cheugy]

As much as I rate Mexico, home crowds and altitude are the excuse pundits pre load so England can lose without blame, both teams breathe the same air for ninety minutes, quality should still tell

[QuantumLeap96]

Tell that to every side that has wilted at the Azteca for sixty years, the physiology is real, the home team lives at that elevation and the visitors are sucking air by the hour mark

[TommyB_20]

Brazil with Neymar back and talking about a sixth star is the most Brazil thing ever, they always find the emotional narrative, the question is whether the defence can handle a proper counter attacking nine

[Ryan84]

Norway sitting deep and springing Haaland is exactly the puzzle that has undone Brazil before, this is not the walkover the seedings suggest, I fancy an upset or at least extra time

[Lucy_35]

Least want to draw in the quarters is Mexico for me, a team that does not concede plus that crowd plus that altitude for another round is a nightmare for anyone left

[Candle28]

England fans quietly confident because the bench is deeper than Mexico's eleven and this could come down to who has more in the last half hour, fresh legs at altitude is a real edge

[ProperMadlad20]

The Azteca hosting an England Mexico knockout at a World Cup is the kind of fixture you build a whole tournament around, what happened was unforgettable

[Midnight Aoife]

Both these winners land on the Brazil Mexico England side of the bracket which is turning into the group of death of the knockouts, whoever comes through there has earned a final