The World Cup round of 16 is here, and the incredible drama is just beginning

Until this World Cup simply surviving your group got you into the round of 16. But with the field expanded from 32 to 48 the round of 32 now presents an extra hurdle on the way to the championship match.

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That new barrier tripped up a bunch of countries who’d made the remaining 16 four years ago in Qatar — Senegal, Japan, South Korea, and Australia as well as quarterfinalist Netherlands and semifinalist Croatia.

And Argentina, the reigning champion and the planet’s top-rated team, was taken deep into extra time on Friday night by 67th-ranked Cape Verde, which came from behind twice before falling 3-2 on an own goal.

Still kicking are a number of teams that won a knockout round for the first time in a while, if ever. The United States did it for the first time since 2002, Spain and Paraguay for the first time since 2010, Norway for the first time since 1998, Switzerland for the first time since 1938 and Canada and Egypt for the first time ever.

So the round of 16 that begins Saturday presents multiple intriguing matchups. The Americans will face Belgium on Monday night in Seattle for the first time since their epic 2014 meeting that went scoreless into extra time with the Red Devils pulling out a 2-1 triumph.

That summer was when Belgium’s ‘Golden Generation’ was coming into full flower. Now it’s the Yanks who are on the rise and the aging Red Devils who needed a miracle victory over Senegal to stay in the tournament.

Six decades ago when the English won their only Cup in the sport that they invented they blanked Mexico in group play with Sir Bobby Charlton scoring the winning goal at Wembley Stadium.

Sunday’s rematch will be at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City’s rare (as in mile-high-plus) air. It’s the same place where Argentina booted out England in the 1986 quarters on Diego Maradona’s two tallies four minutes apart — the ‘Goal of the Century’ and the ‘Hand of God’.

Spain and Portugal last faced each other in the Cup in the 2018 prelims when the Iberian neighbors played to a 3-3 draw with Cristiano Ronaldo producing the equalizer in the 88th minute to complete his hat trick.

Ronaldo is past prime at 41 but his penalty kick helped push the Portuguese past Croatia. Solving Spain, which hasn’t conceded a goal in the tournament, will be another matter.

La Roja, the European titlists, were jolted awake by their opening 0-0 deadlock with Cape Verde. With keeper Unai Simon setting the Cup record for scoreless minutes (519 dating from 2022) and their ball-control mastery the Spaniards can go 120-plus with anyone.

France, which has been unstoppable since its opening grinder with the Senegalese, will be content to duck the Germans, historically their nemesis in le Mondial, who were expelled by Paraguay.

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But La Albirroja won’t be a picnic for Les Bleus. When they hoisted the Cup on home soil in 1998 they had to go 114 minutes with Paraguay in the second round before Lolo Blanc delivered the coup de grace.

Sunday’s Brazil-Norway match features an encounter between two of the world’s most dynamic forwards in Vinicius Junior and Erling Haaland.

Both teams sweated mightily to get here with the Selecao taking out Japan five minutes into stoppage time and Haaland supplying the winner against Ivory Coast four minutes from the end of regulation.

The rest of the tournament favorites appear well-positioned to move on. Morocco, the surprise semifinalist last time, likely has too much quality for the co-host Canadians on Saturday.

The quarterfinals present alluring possibilities if form holds — and who’s to say it will? France-Morocco would be a replay of the 2022 semi that Les Bleus won 2-0.

If the Americans get past Belgium they’d either meet Spain for the first time since 1950 or Portugal, whom they upset in the 2002 opener.

Argentina, bidding to become the first champion to repeat since Brazil in 1962, seemed to have an undemanding road back to the final. But for a bounce of the ball Lionel Messi and his mates would have been the losers in the biggest upset in soccer history.

What’s been most notable in this edition is the exceptional competitive balance. In group play 22 goals were scored after the 90th minute.

In the round of 32 three matches — Germany-Paraguay, Netherlands-Morocco, and Egypt-Australia — went to shootouts, and Argentina-Cape Verde nearly did.

Belgium-Senegal was decided with seconds remaining in extra time. Three others — Brazil-Japan, Canada-South Africa, and Portugal-Croatia — were determined after the 90th minute.

With the field whittled to 16 contenders we can expect more of the same. If the Blue Sharks, minnows no longer, can take Argentina to the limit and beyond, what else may be possible?

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