Only six spots remain in the World Cup round of 16, with half of those to be determined on Thursday.The slate is highlighted by a matchup between highly touted Spain and Austria in Inglewood, California, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal battles Croatia and Switzerland faces Algeria in games that will be played in Canada.The round of 16 begins Saturday.Spain improbably has failed to win a knockout round match in its last three World Cups, but Lamine Yamal’s team is the favorite to finally get it done when La Roja faces Austria on Thursday at SoFi Stadium.Since winning the Cup in South Africa in 2010, Spain failed to get out of group play in 2014 before losing its first knockout match in each of the past two World Cups. This soccer power’s dry spell has shown signs of lifting in recent years, with coach Luis De La Fuente leading his players to wins in the 2023 Nations League and the 2024 European Championships while losing only two of La Roja’s 45 total matches in his tenure.
Spain didn’t overwhelmingly dominate group play, and its surprising scoreless draw with Cape Verde invited doubters and detractors. But with Yamal fit enough to play a full match in the knockout rounds, De La Fuente is optimistic that his team is getting better as the tournament goes on — and it still hasn’t allowed a goal.
