Iran Press/ Middle East: The knockout round, also known as the round of 16, is the second phase of the World Cup. It directly follows the group stage, where 32 teams battled it out in eight different groups, and 16 teams claimed the top two spots in each group, advancing to the knockouts.
The French lost 1-0 to Tunisia last time out, but Didier Deschamps heavily rotated his side while the Polish went down 2-0 to Lionel Messi's Argentine outfit.
Many consider Poland lucky to get this far, given Saudi Arabia and Mexico's spirited displays, while France looked good against both Australia and Denmark. Superstar pair Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski are both off the mark for goals in Qatar, with the Paris Saint-Germain man on three and the Barcelona hotshot on one coming into this matchup.
216
Read more:
First day of knockout stage; USA to play Netherlands at FIFA World Cup
Which teams qualified for World Cup 2022 knockout stage?
