In one of only three all-European matchups in the Round of 32, Spain will face Austria at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. While the knockout stage is nothing new for La Roja, Das Team have not advanced beyond the group stage since the 1982 World Cup, when the tournament format was quite different.
Spain weren’t as dominant in the group stage as many expected, but they achieved something special. For the first time in the nation’s history, they qualified without conceding a goal. So far, Mexico are the only other team with three clean sheets.
As one of the favourites to win this World Cup, La Roja have to overcome their recent failures, having lost their last two knockout matches in 2018 and 2022.
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