Round of 16 matches set for World Cup Day 24 with Canada-Morocco and Paraguay-France
Saturday's World Cup Round of 16 features Canada facing Morocco in Houston and Paraguay taking on France in Philadelphia, with winners advancing to quarterfinals at Gillette Stadium.
Saturday marks the start of the World Cup Round of 16. In Houston at 1 p.m. ET, Canada will meet Morocco, a clash that will decide the first team to reach the quarterfinals. Canada, coached by Jesse Marsch, earned its first knockout-stage win by defeating South Africa 2-0 in the previous round, while Morocco, the 2022 fourth-place finishers, advanced after a penalty-shootout victory over the Netherlands. The winner will face either Paraguay or France on Thursday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
Later that day, at 5 p.m. ET in Philadelphia, Paraguay will take on France. The French side, 2018 champions and 2022 runners-up, have progressed with four straight wins, scoring 13 goals while conceding two, and rely on the attacking trio of Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé. Paraguay, after losing its opening match to the United States, secured a third-place finish and a Round of 16 berth by upsetting Germany in a penalty shootout. The victor of this match will also move on to the quarterfinals at Gillette Stadium.
"France has looked unstoppable featuring Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé, among its weapons," the tournament preview notes.