England's impressive 4-2 dismantling of Croatia suggested Thomas Tuchel’s side were ready to breeze through Group L. Instead, a toothless 0-0 draw with Ghana was followed by an unconvincing 2-0 win over Panama, and only Harry Kane's late heroics saved his side from possible humiliation at the hands of DR Congo in the round of 32.
How will England fare in the Last 16?
Next on the agenda for Thomas Tuchel's team is a direct collision with Group A winners Mexico, who stormed their group with a perfect nine points before seeing off Ecuador 2-0 in the first knock-out round.
That means England are walking into the ultimate tournament trap at the world-famous Estadio Azteca, where Mexico have lost just two of their last 89 fixtures (Won 70, Drawn 17), and where England must overcome brutal altitude and 87,000 hostile fans.
Who will England play in the Quarter-Finals?
Survive the Azteca altitude as group winners, and the absolute heavyweights are waiting in Miami on July 11 in the shape of a blockbuster clash with Brazil, who topped Group C ahead of Morocco.
It’s a fixture that instantly brings back bad memories of the 2002 quarter-final, when Ronaldinho’s famous looping free-kick caught David Seaman off his line and knocked England out.
That's assuming that Brazil see off Norway in their last-16 clash - by far from a given as long as Erling Haaland continues his 13-match international scoring streak, and he would surely give England's fragile defence a tough time if the underrated Norwegians upset the South Americans.
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Who will England play in the Semi-Finals?
Navigate the South American giants , and a return to Atlanta on July 15 is on the cards for the semi-finals. This path heavily points toward a massive, historic grudge match against Lionel Messi's Argentina.
An England-Argentina semi-final would bring decades of bitter World Cup history to the surface, from Maradona's 'Hand of God' in '86 to David Beckham's famous red card in '98.
That showdown is still subject to Argentina progressing that far, it's hard to see Lionel Scaloni's team having too many problems getting past Cape Verde and the winners of the Australia-Egypt clash in the round of 16.
Who will England play in the World Cup Final?
If England make it all the way to the MetLife Stadium on Sunday, July 19, the final opponent will likely face a European superpower like France or Spain, who are scheduled to meet in the other semi-final, assuming they avoid any banana skins along the way.
With Kylian Mbappe looking unstoppable, France have scored three or more goals in each of their opening four games - a World Cup record - and it's difficult to imagine them not going all the way.
That said, once Spain got past their shock goalless opener against Cape Verde, they have looked impressive in their three subsequent victories over Saudi Arabia, Uruguay and Austria. The Spanish defence is yet to be breached at the tournament, so this could be a genuine case of an irresistible force meeting an immovable object!
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