World Cup knockout predictions: Biggest shocks, best matches and winners

After 72 matches in the World Cup group stage, the bracket has been set and the remaining 32 teams are just five rounds away from the sport's biggest prize. These are the days of knockout football, with all three host nations still standing and stars such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane continuing to score goals. So which team is the strongest team left? Who will be in the final? Who are the best fans? Who is the best player? Where will the shocks come from? And who will be the winner? We asked our journalists, and here's what they said.

The most exciting team to follow at this World Cup is…

Oliver Kay: In terms of quality, it's France. The first half of their opening match, against Senegal, was pretty poor. But since then, they have performed excellently. For fun, perhaps Senegal or Japan.

James Horncastle: If you forget the first half against Senegal at MetLife, France performed on the field just as they performed on paper. This was not always the case with Didier Deschamps. This is a welcome development.

Jack Pitt-Brooke: Interestingly, I was quite surprised by the US team. Not many teams truly deliver dynamic, vertical football, but Mauricio Pochettino has done just that. Combined with the hosts' atmosphere, their matches are must-watch from here on out.

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