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Three high-level matches highlight this Thursday's third round of the round of 16 in the , featuring Spain, Portugal, and Switzerland as the European protagonists in a lineup that promises excitement from Los Angeles to Vancouver.
The match kicks off at 15:00 Cuba time at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, where La Roja will face Austria in pursuit of a spot in the round of 16.
Spain comes as one of the strongest teams in the tournament: it topped Group H with seven points, an unbeaten defense, and convincing performances that included a 4-0 thrashing of Saudi Arabia —with goals from Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal— and a 1-0 victory against Uruguay with a goal from Álex Baena.
Opposing them will be Austria, which has not reached a World Cup knockout stage since Spain 1982, 44 years ago, and arrives with the energy of having played one of the most thrilling matches of the group stage: a 3-3 draw against Algeria, with the equalizing goal scored by Sasa Kalajdzic in the 90th minute.
The team led by Ralf Rangnick, known for their intense pressing style, qualified as the second in Group J with four points and will aim to make a surprise in the tournament.
At 7:00 PM Cuban time, BMO Field in Toronto will host the match between Portugal and Croatia, which is regarded as the most exciting of the day.
The Portuguese team arrives led by Cristiano Ronaldo, who in this edition became the first player to score in six different World Cups and reached a total of 10 World Cup goals, a historic record for Portugal.
However, the path of the Portuguese in the group stage raised some doubts: they advanced as runners-up in Group K with five points, featuring a draw against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan, and a goalless draw against Colombia.
Croatia, on the other hand, also had an uneven journey: they lost 4-2 to England in their debut but recovered with victories over Panama and Ghana to qualify as the second in Group L with six points.
With Luka Modrić as the driving force of the team and the overall record favoring Portugal —six wins, one draw, and one loss in eight encounters— the match is shaping up to be one of the most fiercely contested of the round.
The day will close at 11:00 PM Cuba time at BC Place in Vancouver, with Switzerland facing Algeria in a match where the Europeans are the favorites.
Switzerland topped their group after a resounding 4-1 victory over Bosnia and a 2-1 win against Canada, while Algeria secured their qualification on the last matchday with the memorable 3-3 draw against Austria.
Riyad Mahrez, an Algerian standout with two goals and one assist in the group stage, will be a significant threat to Switzerland, which will aim to solidify its strong tournament performance and advance to the knockout stage.
This round of 16 is a historic innovation introduced in this expanded edition featuring 48 teams and 104 matches, and the three games this Thursday will determine new qualifiers to join England, Belgium, and the United States, who have already secured their spot in the round of 16.
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