The Round of 32 delivered exactly what knockout football always promises: drama, upsets, and enough Fantasy heartbreak to make you question every decision you made. Now, only 16 teams remain, and with every match becoming tougher, the margins between success and failure are smaller than ever. There were many mismatches in the previous round due to the expanded format, but now it’s the very best of the best left

This is the stage where proven stars are expected to deliver, but it’s also where one unexpected hero can completely change your Fantasy round. Clean sheets become harder to find, differential picks become even more valuable, and every transfer has to be made with one eye on the quarter-finals.

Formation: 3-5-2

Yassine Bounou (Canada vs Morocco) – €5.4m

There’s a reason Yassine Bounou has earned the nickname “Bono”… because, just like the U2 frontman, he has a habit of stealing the show. Morocco’s number #1 once again proved why he’s one of the world’s best goalkeepers by helping eliminate the Netherlands, producing several crucial saves before denying Crysencio Summerville in the penalty shootout.

While he may have had a slower start to this World Cup, Bono is built for moments like these, and Morocco looks extremely strong. We all remember their 2022 run with magical Yassine between the sticks. Now the Canadian-born Moroccan goalkeeper will have something to prove against his place of birth.

Issa Diop (Canada vs Morocco) – €5.0m

Centre-backs aren’t usually the first names Fantasy managers look at, but Issa Diop has given everyone a reason to pay attention. The towering defender rescued Morocco’s World Cup campaign with a dramatic stoppage-time header against the Netherlands before helping the Atlas Lions hold firm through extra time and eventually reach the Round of 16 on penalties.

Diop offers exactly what you want from a Fantasy defender: a solid chance of a clean sheet with a genuine threat from set-pieces. Standing at 194 cm, he’s a constant target whenever Morocco swing a corner or free-kick into the box, and after his heroics in the previous round, his confidence will be sky-high. Especially against a relatively weak Canadian side.

Marc Guéhi (Mexico vs England) – €5.9m

England have relied on Harry Kane to get them this far, but Marc Guéhi has quietly been just as important at the other end of the pitch. The centre-back has once again looked calm under pressure, helping the Three Lions weather an early storm against DR Congo before securing a comeback victory and a place in the Round of 16.

Guéhi is exactly the kind of defender Fantasy managers love. He’s composed in possession, dominant in the air, and rarely puts a foot wrong, making him a reliable source of defensive points whenever England keep things tight. While he isn’t the biggest goal threat from set-pieces, his ability to rack up clearances, interceptions, and recoveries makes him a consistent scorer.

Lucas Digne (Paraguay vs France) – €5.0m

Lucas Digne isn’t usually the headline name in this France side, but that’s kind of the point. He doesn’t need to be. While all the attention goes to France’s attacking fireworks, Digne has quietly done his job at left-back, offering balance, experience, and just enough attacking output to keep Fantasy managers interested.

Against Sweden, he was part of a rotated France back line that still looked comfortable for long spells, with Didier Deschamps clearly trusting him to provide defensive stability when others are pushed higher up the pitch. That role matters even more now in the knockout stages, where France are expected to dominate possession against a compact Paraguay side.

Jude Bellingham (Mexico vs England) – €8.7m

If England are going to get through what is shaping up to be one of their toughest tests of the tournament, Jude Bellingham will almost certainly be at the centre of it.

He’s been exactly what England needed so far — not just energy and running, but control. In the win over DR Congo, Bellingham was constantly dropping into space, linking play, and driving England forward when things got sticky. It’s not always flashy, but it’s the kind of influence that quietly tilts knockout games in your favour.

Malik Tillman (USA vs Belgium) – €5.5m

The Round of 32 win over Bosnia was the perfect example of what a certain Malik Tillman brings. With the game hanging in the balance and the USA down to 10 men after Folarin Balogun’s red card, Tillman didn’t just keep things ticking; he took responsibility. A perfectly struck free-kick sealed the 2-0 win and sent the US into a Round of 16 clash with Belgium.

That kind of moment changes how Fantasy managers view a player. He’s no longer just a tidy midfielder between the lines; he’s now someone involved in goals, set pieces, and key attacking phases for a side that still leans heavily on its front line. Belgium looked very weak for 85 minutes of their insane comeback win against Senegal, and they do not seem mentally or physically fit for another, more serious, test against the US.

Ousmane Dembélé (Paraguay vs France) – €11.6m

The Ballon d’Or winner has carried his club form onto the biggest stage, tormenting defenders throughout the tournament and forming a devastating partnership with Kylian Mbappé. His first-half hat-trick against Norway announced that France mean business, and he followed it up with another influential display as Les Bleus comfortably dispatched Sweden in the Round of 32.

For Fantasy managers, Dembélé is as close to a must-have as it gets. Whether he’s scoring himself or creating chances for those around him, he’s involved in almost everything France does in the final third. His pace, dribbling, and unpredictability make him a nightmare in one-on-one situations, while his growing chemistry with Mbappé only raises his ceiling.

Lamine Yamal (Portugal vs Spain) – €11.3m

The whole world is still waiting for a Lamine Yamal statement performance at this World Cup, and what better way to do so than in their upcoming so-called “Iberian derby” against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal. The very team that beat them on penalties in the Nations League final last year.

Even without getting on the scoresheet against Austria, Yamal was the heartbeat of Spain’s attack, constantly drawing defenders out of position and creating space for those around him as La Roja cruised into the Round of 16. He’s starting to grow as the tournament flows and gets more serious, so all the eyes will be on him against Portugal.

Antonio Nusa (Brazil vs Norway) – €6.5m

If there’s one player who makes Brazil uncomfortable just by existing on the pitch, even though there is more than one, it’s Antonio Nusa. His brilliant solo goal against the Ivory Coast, full of balance, speed and that trademark drop of the shoulder, set Norway on their way to a famous win and a Round of 16 clash with Brazil. Unlike Brazil, Norway is a feel good story while the record five-time World Cup champions are not at their best, which everyone expected to be fair.

Just a reminder, their last meeting was in the 1998 World Cup, in which Norway won 2-1 with an 89th-minute penalty by Kjetil-Andre Rekdal. All the pressure in the world will be on Brazil, while the Norwegians have the quality to punish with ease.

Erling Haaland (Brazil vs Norway) – €10.2m

Continuing on the Norway wave and rowing onwards, Erling Haaland is a man who doesn’t need much introduction. He basically just scores goals, a lot of goals. 2 against Iraq, 2 against Senegal, and the winner against Ivory Coast. 5 in 3 matches, for his standards, he probably thinks he’s underperforming.

But now his biggest test with the national team. They have already written a new page of Norwegian history, and now they will play even better and with even more freedom. If his teammates can supply him with a few balls in a very tough match against Brazil, nobody doubts that he will take his chances.

Lionel Messi (Argentina vs Egypt) – €10.4m

Oh yeah, we are doing this until the end…

Because he’s the GOAT!