“Knockout football,” former England international Owen Hargreaves surmised, “is so different to the group stage.”
For the first time in the World Cup’s 96-year history, as many as 32 teams will get the chance to savor the added pressure that comes after advancing past the first round. All 24 sides which finish first and second in their respective groups automatically book a ticket to the round of 32, where they will be joined by the eight best performing third-place teams.
