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.
Austria, on the other hand, had to fight until the last whistle in the group stage and were minutes away from not qualifying, if not for Kalajdzic's equaliser against Algeria in the 96th minute.
The 2026 World Cup is Austria's first since 1998, so being here is an achievement, although the new format technically made it easier to qualify.
Das Team last qualified from a group stage in 1982, when the World Cup featured a second group stage and not knockout rounds. Austria's most recent knockout match in the standard sense of the word was over 70 years ago in 1954.
While they displayed some resilience and goalscoring abilities, their defence is the primary concern after six conceded goals in three matches to date.
How the bookies view it: La Roja to show their true strength
Entering this clash with a 13-match unbeaten streak, Spain are the heavy favourites to advance, and bookmakers priced their win at around 7/20.
However, having already seen big favourites exit the tournament, the 15/2 odds for Austria look very attractive. Alternatively, you can back a draw at 17/4. Curiously, Austria's odds have dropped considerably since the markets got released. You can find the best current options using our best mobile apps for world cup betting.
Recent head-to-head: Spain won four of the last five H2Hs
It's been a while since La Roja faced Das Team; in fact, close to 17 years. Their last meeting was in 2009, when Spain won 5-1 in a friendly match. La Roja have, in fact, won four of the last five clashes, scoring 3+ goals for each win.
The two European nations have met once at World Cup finals, and Austria won that match 2-1 in 1978.
Players to watch: Oyarzabal can be even more efficient
Mikel Oyarzabal has been Spain's most efficient player since the start of the tournament, although he also missed quite a few chances across the three group stage fixtures.
But he has two goals and an assist, all from the 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia. He was shut down completely against Uruguay, which we don't expect to see against Austria, who have a different playstyle. But against Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia, he took five shots in each game.
Betting on him to score is not an easy option, but we can definitely see him taking some shots against Austria, whose defence has struggled throughout the tournament.
Probable line-ups
Spain: Simon, Cucurella, Laporte, Cubarsi, Llorente, Pedri, Rodri, Baena, Olmo, Yamal, Oyarzabal
Austria: A. Schlager, Mwene, Alaba, Danso, Posch, Seiwald, X. Schlager, Sabitzer, Wanner, Laimer, Gregoritsch
Anything else catch the eye?
Spain didn’t leave their opponents any opportunities to score, but they certainly didn’t show what they’re capable of on offence. Five goals is surprisingly few for La Roja in what appeared to be an easier group, and we now expect to see a completely different kind of focus and efficiency.
Ralf Rangnick has certainly improved the quality of the Austrian national team, but given their struggles in the group stage, we don’t see how their defence will be able to hold off Spain for 90 minutes, let alone 120 if the match goes into extra time. We expect a convincing performance from the European champions and an action-packed thriller.
GambleAware