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After a series of knockouts, the contenders for the 2018 FIFA World Cup have been reduced to eight. Five of the eight knockout stages were absolute thrillers, requiring late goals or penalties to decide the winners.
England became the last team to qualify for the quarter-finals of the World Cup after a spectacular victory against Colombia. , Croatia and Russia in the quarterfinals of the lower half. England are the only former winners of the four teams.
The top half contains more heavyweights, with the French champions in 1998 who have twice won Uruguay and favorites, Brazil having to face the dark horses of Belgium
. The knockout stages of this World Cup – which is already described as the best edition – have been the triumph of the outsider. Heavy Trucks Argentina, Portugal and Spain were left behind. And even in defeat, teams like Japan and Denmark have won their hearts and impressed by their fight.
Before moving on to the quarterfinals – Uruguay vs France, Brazil vs Belgium, Sweden vs England and Russia vs Croatia – let's look back at some of the memorable moments, shocking statistics and hilarious memes of the round of 16.
The KOs fly off on the most dramatic note possible with the two biggest stars of the sport, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
0 – Neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi scored a goal in a World Cup knockout match:
Ronaldo: 0 goals in 6 games at 25 shots (514 mins)
Messi: 0 goals scored 8 games of 23 shots (756 mins)Kryptonite. #WorldCup #URUPOR #FRAARG #POR #ARG pic.twitter.com/lgydl2UDb8
– OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 30, 2018
People call Mbappé the "next big thing" are underestimated. He won the leagues back, ripped UCL and now the World Cup at 19 years old. He is the big present thing. World clbad before already. – TFN (@TheFalseNein) June 30, 2018
Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani
Laying in the shadow of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the World Cup. pic.twitter.com/TGhb8LWBpH
– ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 30, 2018
Spain has eliminated Argentina and Portugal on Sunday after having been beaten on penalties
The VAR referee in Moscow sees no penalty in Spain #sparus pic.twitter.com/TXtZcnnR3L – tom jamieson (@jamiesont) 1 July 2018
Me, for the last 120 minutes watching Spain go 1000+ times pic.twitter.com/PuVD25mx7y
– Kristen Soltis Anderson (@KSoltisAnderson) 1 July 2018
191 – Russia have eliminated Spain from the World Cup despite completing only 191 pbades in 120 minutes! Spain has completed 1006 pbades today, a new record for a team since Opta began collecting these data (1966). Punishment. #ESPRUS #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/MuYvJPaSgl – OptaJean (@OptaJean) July 1, 2018
Guess who is on a home way back home #ESPRUS pic.twitter.com/QdRgeqk6Fs
– Mad e Leine ♀️ (@badgalmaddie_) July 2, 2018
This view of the sorrow of d & # Akinfeev who knocked out Spain's World Cup is just unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/dLmrlS7Zr0 – World Cup (@ FFAWC2018) 1 July 2018
A day of penalty shooting and intensive goalkeepers, Croatia avoided the same fate that Spain were saved by their guard Danijel Subasic.
that #CRODEN shots on goal pic.twitter.com/ALn6A54o3Y
– NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) July 1, 2018
#Croatia Won the match, but Kasper #Schmeichel and his father #PeterSchmeichel have won the Hearts! Nice game even before the shooting, which saves and the way he cheers and motivates his team during the break. What a beautiful backup during the game! #CRODEN #WorldCup #Denmark pic.twitter.com/V0YCqFRP91 – anju antony (@RJanjuCityangel) 1 July 2018
Brazil defeated Mexico 2- 0 to make quarters but it was the histrionics of Neymar who stole the entire limelight
Neymar whenever someone touches him … Legend has it, he rolls still #WorldCup #BRAMEX pic.twitter .com / tYoR5WW4Fi
– Arustamyan (@_Arustamyan) 2 July 2018
Do not touch #Neymar he could go on a dive pic.twitter.com / OjvtTidXgS – Alasbahiomar ⑬ (@AlasbahiOmar) 2 July 2018
Belgium was about to suffer another major failure when of a tournament 2-0 with 21 minutes of play, only for a magnificent goal escaped by Nacer Chadli in the fourth minute of injury, highlight of his su perb rolled up.
48 & quot;: #BEL 0-1 #JPN
52 & quot; #BEL 0-2 #JPN [19659047] 69 #: #BEL 1-2 #JPN
74 (19459049) #BEL 2-2 #JPN [19659047] 94 & # 39 ;: #BEL 3-2 #JPNWhat. A game. pic.twitter.com/Jh62TF2Qrx
– Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) July 2, 2018
Respect for Japan. #JPN #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/9oG0BAf3IL – World Cup (@FLFAWC2018) 2 July 2018
Staying behind to empty garbage after this heartbreaking defeat .
Japan, we do not deserve you. pic.twitter.com/enxpEL5WC8
– ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) 2 July 2018
Incredible from Japan. That's how they left the locker room after losing to Belgium: all cleaned up. And in the middle, left a message to Russia: "Spasibo" (Thank you) pic.twitter.com/lrwoIZt2pR – Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) 3 July 2018
Sweden defeated Switzerland 1-0 in the round of 16. Emil Forsberg took the only goal of a close encounter halfway through the second period to send his country into quarters for the first time since 1994.
2 – Sweden won two matches in the World Cup consecutive world since 1958, when they won the quarter-finals and semifinal en route to the final as host country that year. Rising. #SWESUI #SWE #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/tAWajEqBDE
– OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 3, 2018
And for the # 39, England, three words sum up all their experience at the World Cup.
"Can you see that, Gareth, it's football, he's coming home." #ENG #WorldCup pic.twitter.com / 1e6SOcQctf – The match of the day (@BBCMOTD) July 3, 2018
So it was the turn of the 16 … pic.twitter.com/6nrOpSBcVS [19659002] – B / R Football (@brfootball) 4 July 2018
Favorites Brazil will face the "Golden Generation" of Belgium in Kazan on Friday as a young, exciting French team led by Kylian Mbappe will face a nifty Uruguayan team Nizhny Novgorod
Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Dries Mertens and Kevin De Bruyne are likely to give Brazil's defense the biggest test of their campaign so far, even though the South Americans have only co France never went out of the first gear going through the group stage, but took over the torch in imposing 4: 3 deal with Argentina to set up the clash against Uruguay.
The success of Uruguay rests on a strong defense led by José Gimenez and Diego Godin, of Atletico Madrid, while Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, former partners of the strike, do the damage to on the other end, with five goals to their credit.
On Saturday, England will play its quarter-final against Sweden in Samara, with a fourth clash against Croatia or Russia in play.
No South American team has won on European soil from a Brazil inspired Pele 60 years ago, but in a World Cup shocks and surprises, nothing can be taken for granted.
With agency contributions
Click here to see the full schedule of FIFA 2018 World Cup ]
Click here to see the full agenda of the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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