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SAMARA, Russia — Europe and South America will do battle again for football supremacy in the World Cup quarter-finals, but with many of the usual combatants having already exited, there is a fresh feel to a line-up that promises a new or long-absent finalist. 

While Africa, Asia and North America will not be represented, dashing any hope of a revolutionary breakthrough in the eventual destination of the trophy, at least one of this year’s finalists will not have reached the title decider for half a century, if at all.

With perennial challengers Germany, Spain and Argentina all having exited a tournament that has thrown up a never-ending series of surprises, the draw has a distinctly unbalanced feel in terms of the talent weighing on either side. 

In one half, England, which played its one final when it won the title in 1966, and Sweden, which lost to Brazil on home soil in the 1958 final, will meet in Samara on Saturday with a last-four clash against Croatia or Russia awaiting the winner.

Neither the host, whose previous best was a single semifinal appearance as the Soviet Union in 1966 or Croatia, who also reached the last four in 1998, were expected to challenge but have significantly outshone many supposed superiors. 

On the other side of the draw, five-times winners Brazil take on Belgium’s so called “Golden Generation”, and 1998 champions France faces Uruguay, which was crowned twice in the tournament’s early history. 

It is here that the habitual battle between football’s two dominant continents, who have produced all previous World Cup winners, will take place. 

While it is the fourth time in the last seven tournaments that no team outside of Europe or South America is in the last eight, even this quadrennial conflict will spurn its usual template. 

Overturning long-held preconceptions about football’s two main land masses, this year’s quarter-finals pitch thrilling and adventurous European teams against pragmatic, stubborn and defensively-minded South American opponents.

Brazil, usually the game’s great entertainers, and Uruguay boast the meanest defences at the World Cup having both conceded once in their four games.

Their opponents, Belgium and France, are more focussed on creating havoc at the other end.

Uruguay kept Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo at bay in their 2-1 last-16 win, just as France banged in four against Argentina at the same stage. They play in Nizhny Novgorod on Friday.

Miserly Brazil

The spotlight on Brazil is still stubbornly trained on talisman Neymar, who has been defined by his histrionics as much as his performances in Russia, yet, the true heroes of their current side are seemingly stationed at the other end of the pitch. 

Brazil’s defensive record under coach Tite has been remarkable, with only six goals conceded in 25 matches, and they have been just as miserly in Russia. 

Belgium, however, is the tournament’s highest scorers with 12 in four straight victories including the superb comeback from two goals down to beat Japan in the last 16. 

In Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne, Belgium, who last reached the semis in 1986, have two of the game’s most devastating creators.

Yet, as they walk out to face world football’s mightiest superpower in Kazan on Friday, they might wish they were playing relative minnows Sweden instead.

That could have been their fate had they lost their last group game to England, who have been handsomely rewarded for finishing runners-up with — on paper — what appears to be a far-easier route to the final. 

Having overcome Colombia on penalties in the last 16, England manager Gareth Southgate will probably feel his decision to field a second-string side against Belgium has been vindicated. 

If England get past workhorses Sweden, whose brand of football is not the easiest on the eye, the will face either Russia or Croatia, which plays each other in Sochi on Saturday. 

None of the teams in this side of the draw, including England, would have begun the tournament with realistic expectations of reaching the final. 

Yet, what were once distant dreams are now edging closer to reality. 

MOSCOW — Brazil winger Neymar is a world class footballer who does not need to exaggerate when he is fouled because it does not earn him any sympathy with the fans, former Germany captain and World Cup winner Lothar Matthaeus said on Wednesday.

Neymar, who has scored twice so far to help Brazil into the World Cup quarter-finals in Russia where it will face Belgium on Friday, has been sharply criticised for a string of exaggerated reactions when clashing with opponents.

“Neymar does not need it. He is an excellent player, one of the five best players in the world,” the 57-year-old Matthaeus, who won the 1990 world Cup with West Germany, told reporters. “Why does he need the acting?

“It does not bring him sympathy. [1986 World Cup winner] Diego Maradona was not acting, [Argentina captain] Lionel Messi is not acting. We need players like Neymar but not the acting.”

Matthaeus said it was up to referees to put a stop to it, adding that during his playing days Colombia’s Carlos Valderrama was one such culprit but now there were just too many.

“I remember Colombia [against England on Tuesday], how they were acting,” he said. England beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties in a bad-tempered game that was almost constantly interrupted, with referee Mark Geiger booking six Colombians and two English players.

“In the 1990s they had one Carlos Valderrama, now Colombia have six. I don’t like this provocation and acting and I cannot understand why a player likes to cheat. With video assistant referees [VAR] this should not be possible.”

Matthaeus also blamed Geiger for not punishing players for it.

“You have to cut this. He [Geiger] forgot to cut it at the right time. He let them [Colombians] do it.”

Geiger awarded England a penalty in the 57th minute but Harry Kane needed to wait several minutes before taking it as Colombian players had surrounded the referee, disputing his decision.

“With the penalty we missed three minutes of football because of the discussions. We don’t need this acting. We want to see football games, people always come to watch a football game. If they want acting they should go somewhere else,” the German said.

Matthaeus, however, had only praise for the England side and its brand of quick football.

“England played very well yesterday. These are high level players and the English national team profits from coaches in the Premier League working with these young players. They also learned how to shoot penalties,” he added.

“This young generation, they are believing in themselves. They do not play kick and rush. They like to play out of the defence. This is the style of the English clubs.” 

England finally ended its penalties curse when it beat Colombia 4-3 in a shootout after drawing its World Cup last-16 clash 1-1 following extra time after the South Americans equalised in the 93rd minute.

England had previously lost all three World Cup shootouts and three of four in the European Championship, but prevailed on Tuesday when Mateus Uribe and Carlos Bacca failed to convert, leaving Eric Dier to win the game for England

It was the first time Colombia had been involved in a World Cup shootout and it took first blood when Jordan Henderson missed his spot kick — but for once fortune smiled on England.

Earlier Harry Kane smashed in a 57th-minute penalty, his sixth goal of the tournament, and England looked to be through until Yerry Mina headed an equaliser in the third minute of stoppage time.

It was England's first win in a knockout game since 2006 and earns them a quarter-final with Sweden, which was far from impressive in beating Switzerland 1-0 earlier on Tuesday.

Then comes a potential semifinal against the host Russia or Croatia with Tuesday's win appearing to vindicate — just — coach Gareth Southgate's decision to field a second-string side in the the final group game loss to Belgium to secure an easier route.

Colombia's hopes suffered a huge setback before kickoff when key playmaker James Rodriguez was ruled out with a calf injury and without him they took a defensive approach and never rarely threatened.

England was always the more purposeful side but they lacked the key final ball and needed a gift to take the lead.

The South Americans had been getting away with blatant holding and wrestling at each of England's many corners and the referee's patience finally snapped when Carlos Sanchez hauled down tournament leading scorer Kane once too often.

After four minutes of mayhem as the Colombians protested, Kane kept his cool and smashed in his third spot kick of Russia 2018.

When Juan Cuadrado blazed horribly over the bar with the goal gaping ten minutes from time with Colombia's first chance of the match it looked all over for them but there was a fiery sting in the tail of normal time.

England keeper Jordan Pickford made a superb save to touch wide a furious long shot by Uribe but from the following corner — Colombia's first of the match — giant defender Mina rose highest to head in the equaliser and send the massed Colombian fans into a frenzy.

England substitute Dier missed the best chance of the extra period when he headed over the bar but he made up for it in emphatic fashion with the winning penalty in the shootout.

Switzerland out

Sweden is delighted to make it to the quarter-finals but it is not satisfied yet, coach Janne Andersson told reporters after his side edged Switzerland 1-0 to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1994.

In another gritty team performance, Emil Forsberg's deflected shot secured victory over a misfiring Switzerland which was smothered by Sweden's defence, and set up a clash with England on Saturday.

"This team personifies the approach we all share — we work for each other on and off the pitch, and I'm incredibly happy that it's paying off," Andersson told reporters.

"We're going to focus on one thing when we've digested this victory, and that's the game on Saturday. We don't even know what team we will face yet, but that is going to be the focus of our preparations," he said.

The Swedes have now seen off Netherlands from their qualifying group, Italy in a play-off, Germany at the group stage and Switzerland in the last 16, leading to questions about whether other nations have underestimated Andersson and his men.

"I think you'd have to ask everyone else that question. We know we are a good team, that we've earned our successes — we know how we got this far," the 55-year-old explained.

"We've worked this way throughout, we're continuing the same way, and what other teams and countries think about that is not terribly interesting."

The delighted Sweden fans stayed behind to sing their modest coach's name long after the final whistle, and he came back out after the teams had left the field.

"It's a surreal feeling, to be standing in St Petersburg on the pitch afterwards and people are calling out my name. That feels strange — during the match I'm very much focused on the game," he said.

Sweden may have exceeded expectations in Russia but they are not done yet, and Andersson and his squad will now assess the players and their coming opponents before going into battle again.

"Now it's about taking the next step. We're not satisfied with this, and nothing more," he said.

"We want to win the next match as well — if you start to lower the bar, the level of ambition, that's not going to make for satisfaction."

ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia — Belgium threw caution to the wind to reach the World Cup quarter-finals as substitute Nacer Chadli scored in the dying seconds against Japan to snatch a 3-2 comeback win on Monday and set up a clash with five-time champions Brazil. 

The distraught Japanese, who went 2-0 up with goals by Genki Haraguchi and Takashi Inui early in the second half, fell to the turf after Chadli poked the ball home from Thomas Meunier’s cross four minutes into added time at the Rostov Arena.

Belgium, who had taken a conservative approach to the game, got back into contention with late goals by Jan Vertonghen and substitute Marouane Fellaini before Chadli struck.

“That’s what happens in the World Cup. It was a test of character and a test of the team. It tells you everything about this group of players,” said Belgium coach Roberto Martinez.

One of the most exciting teams of the group phase, Belgium faced an embarrassing exit but finally clicked to become the first team to win a World Cup knockout game from two goals down since West Germany beat England 3-2 after extra time in 1970. 

Belgium’s “golden generation” have now scored 12 goals in four games in Russia. 

Both teams fought a tight midfield battle but their forwards froze in the area and Belgium’s wide players, Meunier and Yannick Carrasco, did not take risks going forward, effectively turning a 3-4-3 formation into a more conservative 5-2-3 system. 

Neymar barged his way into the World Cup limelight with a goal, an assist and another helping of histrionics as Brazil roared into the quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory over Mexico on Monday that inflicted a seventh straight last-16 exit on the central Americans.

The PSG forward was both architect and executioner for Brazil, sliding home in the second half and then teeing up Roberto Firmino late on, but he also writhed on the floor, seemingly in agony, after Mexico’s Miguel Layun had made slight contact with his ankle.

That should not overshadow his generally positive display however, as the five-times champions beat an otherwise stubborn Mexico, whose World Cup began with such promise with a victory over champions Germany, but ended in familiar fashion in the first knockout round.

It was the seventh World Cup running that Brazil has reached the last eight, where it will now face Belgium, while Mexico has not made it to that stage since it hosted the tournament in 1986.

Mexico, which enjoyed an enviable recent record against Brazil having won seven of their previous 15 matches against them, were a threat on the counter in the first half but then faded without ever really being put to the sword.

Brazil kept clean sheets in seven of their previous eight games, it was never going to commit men forward and allow Mexico to pick them off on the counter in the same way that Germany did in the group stage.

A glaring spotlight had been on Neymar after his opening three performances saw him miss a litany of chances, frequently squander possession and spend far too long on the turf.

Yet, he answered a number of questions with his performance and a decisive finish early in the second half from a move that he had started himself.

Minutes after the restart Brazil took the lead in exquisite fashion with Neymar starting and ending the move.

He darted across the edge of the area before a perfect backheel released Willian, whose low cross fizzed into the danger area where Neymar slid in to turn the ball home.

Brazil had to wait until the 88th minute to put the match to bed when Neymar was the architect, crossing for Firmino to tap the ball home.

Croatia came back after conceding in the opening minute to earn a World Cup quarter-final berth after edging Denmark 3-2 in a penalty shootout after the two sides drew 1-1 in the round of 16 match on Sunday.

They could have wrapped up the result five minutes from the end of extra time, but Luka Modric had his penalty saved by Kasper Schmeichel.

However, the Croatia captain returned to bravely take one of the post-match kicks as goalkeeper Danijel Subasic save three of Denmark's efforts to set up a quarter-final meeting with Russia on Saturday.

It was Modric's sublime pass that put Ante Rebic through on goal, before being brought down by Mathias Jorgensen, and offered Croatia a chance to win just before the lottery of the shootout. But Schmeichel made a smart save to keep the 1-1 stalemate intact through two hours of at times pedestrian football.

Two chaotic goals in the opening four minutes made for a rollicking start at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium. However, it proved a false dawn as the spectacle faded with both sides choosing caution as its priority given the rare chance to reach the last eight at a World Cup.

Jorgensen took all of 57 seconds to breach the Croatia defence at the end of a long throw-in by Jonas Knudsen, stabbing at the ball with his left foot as he took it off teammate Thomas Delaney.

Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic got a hand to Jorgensen's toe-poke but effectively deflected the ball across his own line.

There was an element of comedy to the fourth-minute equaliser for Mario Mandzukic as Denmark's early advantage quickly disappeared.

A kick across the Danish defence was firmly hit away by Henrik Dalsgaard, but straight into the face of team mate Andreas Christensen, creating a pinball effect that saw the ball fall for Mandzukic, who then expertly turned it into the net from close range.

The anticipated influence of Christian Eriksen for the Danes and Croatia's Modric held out hopes of more mouth-watering action but their craft was only evident in patches.

Eriksen did shave the top of the woodwork just before halftime with a speculative effort while, at the other end, Ivan Rakitic forced a smart save from Schmeichel.

After the interval, the chances were even more sparse although Croatia did up the tempo towards the end of regulation time only to run into a resolute Denmark defence.

In extra time, Knudsen's long throws proved the most dangerous attacking weapon but eventually it was penalties that delivered a winner. 

The Host Russia beat Spain 4-3 on penalties thanks to two saves by its goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev on Sunday to advance to the World Cup quarter-finals where they will face either Croatia.

Akinfeev saved Koke's and Iago Aspas' spot kicks after both teams had scored two apiece in what was Russia's first ever World Cup penalty shootout, to send his team to the last eight after a lacklustre 1-1 draw over 120 minutes.

But there was high drama in the shootout for the 78,000 spectators at Luzhniki Stadium, with all four Russian penalty-takers keeping their cool and Akinfeev saving Aspas' spot kick with his foot to trigger wild celebrations.

"In the second half, we were trying to defend. We were hoping for penalties and that's what happened, thank God," Akinfeev said. "We are having a fantastic World Cup."

Spain, which has never beaten a host at World Cups or Euros, went ahead after 12 minutes when 38-year-old Sergei Ignashevich bundled into Spain captain Sergio Ramos at the far post, knocking a free kick in with his heel for the 10th own goal of the tournament.

The 2010 world champion controlled the game with its slick passing but failed to add to its lead as the Russian's defended with discipline.

The game lacked pace and tempo even after the break with both teams cautious not concede too much space and the Russians playing without an out-and-out striker after the substitution of Dzyuba.

Akinfeev came to the rescue again to deny Rodrigo after his fine sprint in the second half of extra time before becoming a national hero by saving the two spot kicks to send the hosts past the former world champions.