The time is approaching to conclude the group stage of the World Cup, as the first two rounds have ended and the third round begins on Tuesday, featuring decisive matchups that will eliminate half of the teams from the tournament. The third round will take place over four days, with matches in the same group played at the same time to prevent result manipulation. Here are the top 7 matches you cannot miss in the final round:
- **Ecuador vs. Senegal (Tuesday Afternoon)**
Senegal delivered a terrific performance against host nation Qatar, defeating them 3-1 to secure their first 3 points and boost their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage, while Ecuador earned a point against the Netherlands, bringing their total to 4 points. A victory or draw will qualify Ecuador directly, while Senegal must win to advance at the expense of their group rival; however, if Senegal is to qualify against the Netherlands, they need to draw positively with Ecuador and hope the Netherlands loses 0-2 to Qatar, who were officially eliminated.
- **USA vs. Iran (Tuesday Night)**
What has been discussed in the media regarding the conflict in Group B between England, the USA, Iran, and Wales becomes a reality in the final round, as Iran faces the American team in a critical match to qualify, while England plays against Wales to decide their advancement in a pure British encounter. The United States has two points, Iran has three points, while England leads with four points, and Iran is at the bottom with one point. Thus, the USA must win against Iran to qualify, while Iran could advance with a draw if England wins or draws against Wales in their final match.
- **Saudi Arabia vs. Mexico (Wednesday Night)**
The tremendous performance by Saudi Arabia in the first round, where they defeated Argentina, is not enough to secure qualification after losing to Poland in the second round. Therefore, a victory against Mexico is crucial for progressing to the next round. Saudi Arabia has three points, ranking third on goal difference behind Argentina, while Poland leads with four points. The green team needs to win to qualify directly or draw if Argentina beats Poland.
- **Belgium vs. Croatia & Morocco vs. Canada (Thursday Afternoon)**
Predictions before the tournament suggested that the clash of the 2018 World Cup runner-up with the bronze medalist would be an early final and a battle for the top spot, but Morocco turned the predictions in their favor. Croatia tops the group by one goal over Morocco, with both having four points, while Belgium is in third place with three points and Canada is at the bottom with no points. The winner of the match will guarantee qualification, while a draw is enough for Croatia to advance but not for Belgium unless Morocco loses to Canada by a two-goal margin. Conversely, Morocco needs only to draw to ensure they reach five points and advance to the round of 16; winning would provide a strong chance for the top spot either by goal difference with Croatia or points if Croatia falters against Belgium. Morocco could also advance even if they lose by one goal, provided Croatia beats Belgium in any fashion or their match ends in a draw.
- **Germany vs. Costa Rica (Thursday Night)**
Both teams received a lifeline in the second round of Group E after their hopes were very low following the first round. Costa Rica defeated Japan to earn their first 3 points, while Germany drew with Spain and earned their first point. Germany is at the bottom with one point, while Spain leads with four points, and Japan is second on goal difference over Costa Rica. Germany needs a win to qualify, as a draw would eliminate them from the tournament; a one-goal victory might not be sufficient if Spain and Japan draw positively. Costa Rica only needs to draw, combined with a Japan loss to Spain, to qualify.
- **Ghana vs. Uruguay (Friday Afternoon)**
The Ghanaian people will never forget what happened in the 2010 World Cup when Uruguay denied the "Black Stars" a place in the semifinals; Luis Suárez prevented the ball from entering the net with his hand instead of the goalkeeper, resulting in a penalty missed by Asamoah Gyan, which cost them qualification. Ghana ranks second in Group H with three points, behind Portugal, who has six points, while Uruguay is at the bottom with one point and is behind South Korea on goal difference. Ghana only needs a draw against their South American rival to reach the round of 16, provided Portugal wins or draws against South Korea, while Uruguay must win against Ghana to advance.
