Football World Cup: Who plays who in Football World Cup playoffs

The preliminaries are complete, the defending champions have been sent home and now the Football World Cup is down to the business end.

Group play ended on Friday morning in dramatic fashion, with Belgium ending England's unbeaten run 1-0 and Senegal's tournament ending on a 'fair play' countback of yellow cards.

Sixteen teams now advance to the first round of knockout play - are you still alive in your office sweepstake? If there's a prize for the worst team, Panama makes you an unlucky winner.

Here's how the World Cup draw looks for the next week:

world cup playoffs
World Cup playoff bracket. Photo credit: Newshub.

Uruguay 2 Portugal 1
6am, Sunday, July 1 (NZ time)

Two goals from Edinson Cavani helped the South Americans nullify the reigning Euro champions and the world's best player - Cristiano Ronaldo.

But the victory may come at a cost. Cavani limped off late in the game and must now be questionable for the quarter-final match-up against France.

France 4 Argentina 3
2am, Sunday, July 1 (NZ time)

After their disappointing form through group play, two of the pre-tournament powerhouses producing a scintillating performance.

Kylian Mbappe became the first teenager to score a World Cup double, since Brazilian legend Pele converted two in the 1958 final. That's quite a claim to fame.

Spain 1 Russia 1 (Russia win 4-3 on penalties)
2am, Monday, July 2 (NZ time)

No-one could have seen this coming. The home team were the lowest-ranked outfit coming into the tournament and weren't really expected to advance past group play.

Now they've eliminated former World Cup champions Spain to book a quarter-final against Croatia.

Croatia 1 Denmark 1 (Croatia win 3-2 on penalties)
6am, Monday, July 2 (NZ time)

Another pulsating encounter that seemed to be drifting the Danes' way, when goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel denied a Luka Modric penalty late in extra time.

This was a night for the goalies, with both Schmeichel and Croatian Danijel Subasic outstanding for their respective teams. 

Croatia were the form team of the tournament, but must now be vulnerable against the rampant home side.

Round of 16 draw

Brazil 2 Mexico 0
2am, Tuesday, July 3

Mexico's World Cup dream, sparked by a first-round shock over champions Germany, came crashing to an end at the hands of the five-time winners, who continues to gain momentum as the tournament progresses.

Brazil vs Belgium looms as another mouthwatering quarter-final.

Belgium 3 Japan 2
6am, Tuesday, July 3 (NZ time)

No-one really fancied Japan for the upset, but they came much closer than anyone anticipated, letting a two-goal lead slip down the stretch.

Belgium had been one of the form teams of the tournament and showed their composure to advance - they'll be even better for this performance.

Sweden 1 Switzerland 0
2am, Wednesday, July 4 (NZ time)

Not the most dramatic of the playoff clashes, pitting two ultra-conservative outfits against each other, Sweden did enough to score and then hold on to advance.

They now book a meeting with England, who will be cock-a-hoop over their prospects moving forward.

Colombia 1 England 1 (England win 4-3 on penalties)
6am, Wednesday, July 4 (NZ time)

The English are still pinching themselves that they actually won a penalty shoot-out after their terrible record at this level.

The draw opens up for them now, with Sweden next and a possible match-up with Russia or Croatia in the semis. 

Newshub.

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