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"The World Cup begins now," Lamine Yamal proclaimed after Spain cruised into the round of 16 with a comfortable victory over Austria.
That's all well and good for the ever-developing teenager, but consider what this tournament would have lacked without everything that preceded this moment. There would have been no Eloy Room celebrating alongside Dutch royalty, no snakes or mascot-related drug scandals. The world would never have witnessed the Scottish invasion of Boston.
However, in terms of elite sporting competition, Yamal may have a valid point. For all the commendable qualities shown by the nations that have already been eliminated, this is where the tournament has been refined to its sharpest edge in terms of pure on-field quality. Identifying the true frontrunners only gets more difficult from here.
Ranking Criteria
16. Egypt
When your greatest asset is this diminished version of Mohamed Salah, 34 years old and unable to reach even his reduced top speed due to a hamstring problem, a run to the round of 16 should be cherished. Anything beyond that would be a remarkable surprise.
15. Switzerland
Murat Yakin acknowledged that Switzerland's breakthrough against a thoroughly unimpressive Algeria side came from "a lucky punch." Fortune may well need to remain on the Swiss side if the national team hopes to extend what is already its finest World Cup run since the Second World War.
14. Canada
"I feel like [this next game] is a free hit," Canada's decidedly unsentimental manager Jesse Marsch conceded. That mindset could prove useful with Morocco standing in their way.
13. Paraguay
"We dance to whatever music they play for us," Paraguay's eloquent manager Gustavo Alfaro beamed following a stunning penalty shootout triumph over Germany. "Sometimes it's a cumbia, sometimes a tango, sometimes a rumba."
It was a polka against Germany, according to Alfaro. It will take a historic performance from Paraguay to prevent France from waltzing into the quarterfinals.
12. Belgium
It remains somewhat of a mystery how Belgium even made it to the round of 16. Youri Tielemans and Leandro Trossard went from clashing to embracing during a genuinely chaotic comeback win over a Senegal side that has looked far more impressive throughout the summer.
11. Portugal
Portugal's dilemma remains unchanged: Can they win in spite of Cristiano Ronaldo?
It's still unclear what leverage the veteran forward holds over Roberto Martínez, who substituted off a winger for the reigning Club World Cup champions, the Premier League Player of the Year, and the most pivotal player for the back-to-back Champions League winners before finally removing Ronaldo against Croatia. Gonçalo Ramos, his immediate replacement, wasted no time in scoring the decisive goal.
10. Norway
Erling Haaland has leaned into the kind of self-deprecating pessimism familiar to football fans everywhere this summer. Norway's striker, who wrote off his side's chances against France in the group stage, insisted there was only a "very small" chance of defeating Brazil in the round of 16.
History, however, favors the Scandinavians, who have never lost to the Seleção. Remarkably, Norway's record against Brazil stands at: Played four, won two, drawn two, lost zero.