Spain face Austria in World Cup knockout opener

Austria up next as knockout football arrives

Spain face Austria in the World Cup round of 32 on Thursday, with a place in the last 16 on the line (4) (5). The winner marches on, the loser goes home. Your team came through a turbulent group stage, and now the real tournament begins.

Fabián Ruiz: unity over lineups

Fabián Ruiz laid out the dressing-room mood ahead of Austria. "It's not important who plays, it's important we support each other," he said on the eve of the match (1). The midfielder is back from injury and ready. Pedri was also namechecked in the buildup, and the tactical plan is unchanged: get Lamine Yamal on the ball as often as possible (5) (6).

Valencia sign De Haas

Valencia have made Justin De Haas their first signing of the Carlos Corberán era (3). The centre-back joins in a deal the club confirmed on Wednesday.

Spain U19s in action

Spain's U19 side faced Iceland in the European Championship, with no further details available at time of writing (2).

Fan-reaktioner

Yamal's perspective is resonating. "I never put pressure on myself. There are people who have suffered more," he said in comments circulating on social media, recalling his mother having him at 16 and his father picking things off the street to feed the family. "All I have to do is play and make the Spain fans happy." Read the full thread here.

One more quirk for Thursday: Mexico have reached the last 16 without conceding a goal, and Spain can match that defensive record against Austria. Another fan noted a stranger pattern, since 2018, every team from Japan's World Cup group has been eliminated in the second round. Spain were on that list in 2022.