World Cup 2022 last-16 fixtures are now all confirmed and set to begin on Saturday 3 December – with some mouth-watering clashes to look forward to.
A condensed World Cup means that the next round starts immediately after the group stage with no respite. The very first knockout match will begin at 3pm, the day after Groups F and G finished, with two matches a day to look forward.
This means it'll only take four days to get to the quarter-finals. The tournament is flying by.
The World Cup 2022 last-16 fixtures in full
Saturday, December 3
Netherlands vs USA (3pm GMT)
Argentina vs Australia (7pm GMT)
Sunday, December 4
France vs Poland (3pm GMT)
England vs Senegal (7pm GMT)
Monday, December 5
Japan vs Croatia (3pm GMT)
Brazil vs South Korea (7pm GMT)
Tuesday, December 6
Morocco vs Spain (3pm GMT)
Portugal vs Switzerland (7pm GMT)
Netherlands are the winners of Group A – so it's only right that they go first in the knockouts. Louis van Gaal's side take on fearless young Americans and though the US finished second in their group, they'll be no means be an easy ride. There could be a shock, here.
Hours after the Dutch take on the United States, Argentina will face Australia as the winners of Group C meet the runners-up of Group D. Australia already have one more win than they were gunning for at this tournament, while Argentina haven't been wholly convincing in Qatar. Could there be two surprises in a day?
Sunday afternoon sees France take on Poland as Robert Lewandowski comes face-to-face with Kylian Mbappe. France are one of the favourites and looking to re-strengthen ahead of this one, having rested nine players against Tunisia. Poland, meanwhile, have arguably the keeper of the tournament in Wojciech Szczesny hoping to stop those ferocious French forwards.
England's tie with Senegal comes on Sunday night, as Gareth Southgate heads into his eighth knockout tie as Three Lions manager.
Japan take on Croatia on Monday afternoon with the surprise winners of the so-called Group of Death fresh from their defeat of the Spanish and ready to take on Luka Modric and co. Croatia are as yet unbeaten, however, and looked impressive in their win against Canada.
Brazil face South Korea next, as one of the favourites take on a side who looked down and out after Matchday 2. Could the Koreans spring another magical moment? Well, Vincent Aboubakar has proven the Selecao aren't unbeatable.
On Tuesday, the last-16 wraps up. The impressive Morocco take on Spain in the earlier kick-off, hoping to continue their rich vein of form, while La Roja are looking to bounce back from defeat to Japan and return to the sultry perfection of that Costa Rica win.
Lastly, Portugal and Switzerland face off in perhaps the tightest tie of this stage in the competition. The quarter-finals start on December 9.
