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The World Cup features many possible juicy matchups in the knockout stage, and the United States vs. England is at the top of the list.
The two sides have played each other three times in World Cup history, with the United States winning in 1950 and the teams playing to a draw in 2010 and 2022. However, all of those games were on neutral soil, making this year's World Cup different from the rest.
United States soccer fans would certainly love to play England in the World Cup as the host country, something that has never happened. Add that the United States could eliminate England entirely, and the environment would be exciting.
In order for that to happen, though, both sides have to take care of business in their previous matches. Here's a look at how the United States and England can match up in the World Cup.
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Can USA play England in World Cup?
A possible match of the United States vs. England depended on where England finishes in Group L, as the Three Lions closed out the group stage vs. Panama on Saturday.
With England winning Group L, the two sides will only be able to meet in the World Cup finals, as they would be placed on opposite sides of the bracket. Both the United States and England won their groups, which gives them each the best chance possible to make a deep run.
Therefore, an England vs. Team USA battle can only happen on Sunday, July 19 at MetLife Stadium for a chance to win it all.
USA knockout bracket
By getting first place in Group D with its first two victories, the United States was one of the first teams to secure a spot in the knockout stage. As a result, the team has known its general path in the knockout bracket for a while.
First, Team USA will play the third-place finisher of Group B, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the round of 32. Bosnia enters the match at 1-1-1 with a -1 goal differential and will likely be one of the lowest-ranked entries in the next round.
From there, Team USA's path could include a matchup in the round of 16 against Belgium, which secured first place in Group G on Friday night. Belgium's round of 32 opponent is still to be determined, but it's also possible that the United States could play someone like South Korea, Ecuador, Algeria, Austria or Senegal in the round of 16.
If the United States makes it to the quarterfinals, their most likely opponent is Spain, whose path is still to be determined based on Saturday's results. For the semifinals, the United States could play a team like France, Germany, Morocco or the Netherlands, while a finals matchup would be against someone like Argentina, Brazil, or England.
🚨@USMNT path to winning the World Cup:
🇧🇦 Round of 32 — Bosnia
🇧🇪 Round of 16 — Belgium/?
🇪🇸 Quarterfinal — Spain
🇫🇷 Semifinal — France
🇦🇷 Final — Argentina
England knockout bracket
England secured first place in Group on Saturday, giving the Three Lions an idea of its knockout stage. With that first-place finish, England will definitely face a third-place team in the round of 32, with possible options being Ecuador, Senegal, Austria or Algeria.
From there, England would potentially head to a dramatic round of 16 game, with Mexico being the likely opponent. That match would take place in Mexico, giving England a potential true road environment to handle.
If England were to survive that match in Mexico, it would have another tough battle against one of Brazil, Japan, Norway or the Ivory Coast in the quarterfinals. From there, England could be forced to play Argentina in the semifinals, with Portugal and Switzerland also options.
Finally, an England appearance in the finals in this scenario would be against a team like France, Germany, Spain, or any of the possible 16 teams.
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