The Round of 32 is complete and the knockout bracket has narrowed to 16 sides. Fantasy squads now carry more risk: upsets are less likely at this stage, but goals and clean sheets are harder to predict as opposition quality rises.
Recommended formation: 3-5-2.
Yassine Bounou (€5.4m) — Canada vs Morocco
Morocco’s No. 1 enters the Round of 16 after helping eliminate the Netherlands. Bounou made several key saves through regulation and extra time, then denied Crysencio Summerville in the penalty shootout to send the Atlas Lions through.
His World Cup start was uneven, but the Canada tie offers a direct test. Bounou was born in Canada and now faces the country of his birth while Morocco sit eighth in the FIFA rankings on 1755.87 points. Canada are 30th on 1556.48 points after dropping one place. At €5.4m, Bounou remains a premium goalkeeper option for managers prioritizing save points and shootout upside.
Issa Diop (€5.0m) — Canada vs Morocco
Centre-backs rarely dominate fantasy headlines, but Issa Diop changed that in the last round. The 194 cm defender scored a stoppage-time header against the Netherlands, then helped Morocco hold through extra time and penalties.
Diop profiles as a dual-threat pick: clean-sheet potential plus set-piece involvement whenever Morocco deliver corners or free kicks into the box. Morocco’s defensive form and Canada’s lower ranking support the case for rostering him at €5.0m.
Marc Guéhi (€5.9m) — Mexico vs England
England have leaned on Harry Kane for goals, but Guéhi has been equally important at the back. The centre-back has started every knockout-stage match so far and has kept England’s defensive structure stable while Kane carried the attack.
England are fourth in the FIFA rankings on 1825.97 points. Mexico are 15th on 1681.03 points after climbing one spot. Guéhi at €5.9m fits managers who want exposure to a top-four side without paying forward premiums.
Transfer checklist for the Round of 16:
— Prioritize defenders and goalkeepers with proven knockout minutes.
— Track set-piece takers; Diop’s header against the Netherlands showed how one dead-ball goal can swing a gameweek.
— Balance premium picks (Bounou, Guéhi) with budget room for midfield and forward transfers before the quarter-finals.
— Monitor late team news; rotation risk drops in single-elimination ties but injury updates can still alter starting XIs.
Canada vs Morocco and Mexico vs England headline the next fantasy decisions. Bounou, Diop and Guéhi each offer a defined path to points — saves and shootout credit, set-piece threat, and clean-sheet equity on a favored back line.
