Reigning European champions Spain, whose World Cup campaign started shakily, face Saudi Arabia in the headline match of the tournament's 11th day. Iran take on Belgium in the second fixture, with travel restrictions continuing to disrupt the Middle Eastern team's preparation.
Sunday's schedule concludes with Uruguay against minnows Cape Verde and New Zealand playing Egypt. None of the teams in action can secure qualification or be eliminated on Sunday.
Matches on Sunday (all times local)
- Spain vs Saudi Arabia – Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, noon ET (16:00 GMT)
- Belgium vs Iran – Los Angeles Stadium, California, noon PT (19:00 GMT)
- Uruguay vs Cape Verde – Miami Stadium, Florida, 6pm ET (22:00 GMT)
- New Zealand vs Egypt – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada, 6pm PT (01:00 GMT Monday)
Predictions
According to Opta's supercomputer:
- Spain vs Saudi Arabia: Spain 86.7% win probability; Saudi Arabia 4.3%; draw 9%
- Belgium vs Iran: Belgium 67.5%; Iran 13.2%; draw 19.3%
- Uruguay vs Cape Verde: Uruguay 67.2%; Cape Verde 12.2%; draw 20.6%
- New Zealand vs Egypt: Egypt 59.6%; New Zealand 17.7%; draw 22.6%
Iran's Travel Restrictions Persist
The United States has maintained restrictions on Iran's travel during the World Cup, forcing the team to base themselves in Tijuana, Mexico, and only travel to US venues within 24 hours of matches. Iran's coach, Amir Ghalenoei, described his team as "the most oppressed in the whole World Cup." Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House World Cup task force, said the situation is fluid and will be reassessed after Sunday's game against Belgium.
Fan Superstition: 'Don't Touch Rocky!'
French supporters have been warned not to dress Philadelphia's Rocky Balboa statue in France gear after a series of sporting misfortunes for teams whose fans touched it. The official France supporters group, Irresistibles Francais, issued an urgent plea: "Under no circumstances should you put a Les Bleus shirt or scarf on the Rocky statue!... dressing Rocky in the colours of the opposition brings monumental bad luck."
Belgium's Doku Faces Fatherhood Dilemma
Belgian winger Jeremy Doku may have to leave the World Cup if his wife goes into labor during the tournament. His wife is due in the second week of July, when the quarterfinals are scheduled. Doku said, "It's my first child, so I would definitely want to be there," adding that the federation supports players in such situations.
Germany Advances to Knockouts
Germany secured a spot in the round of 32 for the first time since 2014, beating Ivory Coast 2-1 on Saturday with a stoppage-time winner. They topped Group E and became the third team to qualify for the knockout stage.