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World Cup Knockouts Begin as Spain Face Austria and Broadcasters Split Coverage

The opening knockout matches put player fitness at the center, forcing viewers to choose paid MagentaTV or limited free coverage.

Overview

  • The tournament moved into the knockout phase with Spain v Austria scheduled for Thursday at 21:00 CET and Portugal v Croatia and Switzerland v Algeria set overnight into Friday.
  • MagentaTV holds rights to all 104 matches while ARD and ZDF will each air a selection of roughly 30 games, leaving about 44 matches exclusive to MagentaTV and shaping how European viewers can watch.
  • Austria reached the knockouts for the first time since 1982 after a last-minute goal in group play, setting up a matchup against Spain, one of the pre-tournament favorites.
  • Player availability will matter: Spain is expected to rely on 18-year-old winger Lamine Yamal despite a minor knock, Switzerland leans on breakthrough scorer Johan Manzambi, and Portugal and Croatia bring veteran leaders Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić.
  • With matches scheduled late for Europe and the final set for 19 July, viewers should plan for overnight fixtures and possible paywall decisions as the single-elimination phase progresses.