The round of 16 of the World Cup has arrived.
As a result, the pressure increases, and in some places it becomes so hot that it becomes suffocating.
The second round of the finals begins on Saturday, with Canada facing Morocco in the opening game in Houston, while powerhouse France and Kylian Mbappé take on Paraguay in the nightcap in Philadelphia.
Two matches will be played each day over the next four days to determine eight quarterfinalists.
mbappe He is one of the players attracting the most attention at the World Cup, currently chasing the record for total goals held by the Argentina national team. lionel messi.
In Philadelphia, Mbappé, his teammates and the Paraguayan national team will play in sweltering conditions at Lincoln Financial Field.
The game coincides with a heat wave where temperatures are expected to exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). More than 68,000 fans are expected to endure such conditions, which could drain the energy of Mbappe and everyone else on the pitch.
Mbappe scored his 17th and 18th goals in the World Cup France beat Sweden 3-0 Last weekend in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the temperature was 90 degrees by the time of the 5 p.m. kickoff.
“I’m looking forward to the changing rooms and the air conditioning,” Mbappe said as he came off the field.
For the July 4th game, misting fans will be available for fans approaching the stadium, and cooling tents will be available for fans on the stadium grounds during the fan experience.
As with all World Cup matches in the United States and Canada, all fans will be able to bring one single-use plastic water bottle into the stadium. There are fountains installed at nine locations within the concourse.
NRG Stadium has a retractable roof and will remain closed, so the heat shouldn’t affect Saturday’s other game in Houston. This is good news considering outdoor temperatures can reach 95 degrees with high humidity.
round of 16 schedule
Saturday, July 4th:
— Canada vs. Morocco, 1 p.m. EDT, Houston (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Paraguay vs. France, 5 p.m. ET in Philadelphia (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
Sunday, July 5th:
— Brazil vs. Norway, 4 p.m. EDT, East Rutherford, N.J. (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Mexico vs. England, 8pm EDT in Mexico City (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
Monday, July 6th:
— Portugal vs. Spain, 3pm EDT in Arlington, Texas (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
— USA vs. Belgium, 8 p.m. ET Seattle (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
Tuesday, July 7th:
— Argentina vs. Egypt, noon ET Atlanta (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Switzerland vs. Colombia, Vancouver, British Columbia, 4 p.m. EDT (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
Canada aims to avenge loss to Morocco in 2022 World Cup – stakes are much higher
Morocco and Canada will meet for the second consecutive World Cup, but the stakes will be even higher in this matchup.
Morocco defeated Canada 2-1 in the 2022 group stage, becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals.
Canada will look to continue making history after scoring its first-ever knockout victory with a 1-0 win over South Africa on Sunday.
“I’m really excited right now,” Canadian coach Jesse Marsh said. “We wanted to get to the point where we played against big opponents in the tournament and Morocco is just that.”
Morocco defeated the Netherlands in a penalty shootout to advance to the round of 16. If they win on Saturday, the Atlas Lions will become the first African team to reach the quarterfinals multiple times.
Canada’s Alistair Johnston said his team is accepting the challenge of playing against Morocco.
“We’ve created so much new history and so many firsts,” Johnston said. “Now this is the chance we wanted, to make sure we reach the point in the tournament where we will face Goliath, and that is the Moroccan team.”
Morocco national team coach Mohamed Ouabi said his team has great respect for Canada.
“It will be very important that we play at our level. The level we have shown in the last few games is not enough,” Ouabi said. “It’s the most important game of this World Cup and it’s going to be the most challenging. There’s no question of hesitation about our approach. We’re playing a round of 16 game and if we’re not good enough we’ll go home.”
More World Cup news
— Bosinha and Cape Verde’s magical World Cup ride that brought Messi and Argentina to the brink ends
— This high-tech ball was involved in one of the most dramatic moments in World Cup history
— FIFA considers bringing forward kick-off of World Cup match between Mexico and England due to thunderstorm fears
— Egyptian defender becomes first player in World Cup history to score two own goals
— USA defeats Bosnia and Herzegovina, the most-watched soccer broadcast in English history
— One stunning photo: Argentina’s dog walker reflects his country’s World Cup passion
— A dog walker’s puppy love turns his group of 13 into jersey-wearing Argentina World Cup fans
statistics of the day
At 41 years and 147 days old, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo became the oldest player to win Player of the Match in a World Cup knockout game. France’s Olivier Giroud was the next oldest, at 36 years old.
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AP Sports Writers Dan Gelston and Christie Rieken contributed to this report.
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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
