Round of 32

France did to Sweden roughly what the pre-match odds said they would, and they did it with a fair amount of style. This piece looks at the 3-0 last-32 win at MetLife Stadium, a Kylian Mbappe brace that moved…

Germany used to win penalty shootouts in their sleep. Now they have lost one at a World Cup for the first time, and with it gone is any pretence that this is a passing slump. This piece looks at the night…

Every World Cup makes a household name out of someone nobody had heard of a month earlier. This time it is a 26-year-old goalkeeper from a Buenos Aires club side, who spent one unforgettable night turning…

The Netherlands were a minute from the last 16 and ninety from the airport, and football chose the airport. This piece looks at the round-of-32 night Morocco refused to lose, snatching a stoppage-time…

Japan were ninety seconds from the greatest night in their World Cup history. Then Gabriel Martinelli reminded everyone why Brazil are Brazil. This is the story of a 2-1 round-of-32 tie in Houston that Japan…

South Africa defended for their lives and were two minutes from extra time. Then Stephen Eustaquio caught a half-volley sweetly, and Canada were through. This is the story of a tight round-of-32 tie in Los…