What happened: Colombia's victory over Ghana brought the World Cup Round of 32 to a close, locking in the full Round of 16 bracket. The knockout slate opens July 4 with Paraguay facing France and Canada meeting Morocco, and runs through July 7, when Argentina take on Egypt and Switzerland face Colombia. It completes the knockout path that began when the Round of 32 schedule was confirmed with 16 matchups.

Why it matters: Every tie is now single elimination, and the opener carries a sharp contrast in form: France arrive unbeaten at 4-0 in the tournament and riding a four-match winning streak, while Paraguay sit at 1-2 and have dropped two straight. Heavyweight collisions loom deeper in the bracket, headlined by Portugal-Spain on July 6 and the United States meeting Belgium the same day.

What to watch: Paraguay-France and Canada-Morocco open the round July 4, followed by Brazil-Norway and Mexico-England on July 5, Portugal-Spain and United States-Belgium on July 6, and Argentina-Egypt and Switzerland-Colombia on July 7.