With the World Cup group stage nearing an end, New Jerseyans are beginning to turn their attention to the knockout games coming to MetLife Stadium.

The venue will host three across the next three weeks, including the World Cup final on July 19.

Though none of the matchups are set in stone, it's fun to imagine which superstars could grace MetLife this time. In the group stage, it was Kylian Mbappé for France, then Erling Haaland for Norway.

Now, could it be Lionel Messi adding to his World Cup scoring record? Or Cristiano Ronaldo continuing to make history in his sixth tournament?

Here’s a projection of which teams could square off at MetLife in the knockout rounds:

Round of 32: June 30

Most likely matchup: Norway/France vs. Sweden

Currently, the winner of Group I will face the third-place finisher in one of Group C, D, F, G or H at MetLife in the Round of 32.

The former will be either France or Norway. The two squads are tied atop Group I with two wins apiece, and they battle each other Friday for first place. If they draw, France takes first place thanks to a better goal differential in other group stage games.

Both teams have already played at MetLife, and both beat Senegal thanks to their stars — Mbappé and Haaland. Each possesses a potent offense and would be a handful for whichever third-place squad they face.

There are a plethora of teams that could slot into the other spot, but most bracket projections list Sweden as the most likely candidate. The Swedes are 1-0-1 after downing Tunisia 5-1 and losing to the Netherlands. If it's not Sweden, the next most likely squads are Scotland, Iran and Uruguay.

Scotland captured its first World Cup victory in 36 years over Haiti, but it awaits its fate with three points and a -3 goal differential after a 3-0 loss to Brazil on June 24.

Iran, meanwhile, could still win Group G, sitting with two draws and a matchup with first-place Egypt on June 26, but it’s the most likely third-place finisher in the group.

And Uruguay might be in the toughest predicament. With manager Marcelo Bielsa under fire, La Celeste enter a match against Spain with two points. A loss could land it in third place.

Round of 16: July 5

Most likely matchup: Brazil vs. Norway/France

This matchup is tougher to predict. Brazil and Group F’s second-place finisher will battle for one of the two spots at MetLife. That second-place team can still be one of the Netherlands, Japan or Sweden.

Either way, Brazil will likely take this one and advance to play at MetLife. The Brazilians have scored seven goals and allowed just one across their three group matches. All seven scores have come from two players — four from young star Vinícius Júnior and three from Matheus Cunha.

On the other side, the second-place finishers of Group E and I will square off for a potential date with Brazil. That will be either France or Norway for Group I — depending on who loses Friday — and likely Ivory Coast in Group E.

Though France or Norway are the favorites to come out of this match, Ivory Coast shouldn't be overlooked. It beat Ecuador 1-0 and remained tied through 94 minutes with group winner Germany before a late score produced a 2-1 loss.

World Cup Final: July 19

Most likely matchup: Argentina vs. France

It’s boring − the same final matchup as 2022. But with every team needing to win four matches before the final, this projection is just throwing darts at the wall.

Still, the most likely teams to make the final from the top of the bracket are Germany, France and Spain.

Germany has already won its group after two matches, aided by a 7-1 domination of Curaçao and veteran goalie Manuel Neuer returning for his fifth World Cup.

Spain and France aren’t guaranteed to be on this side of the bracket, but France’s experience slightly favors it over Norway, while Spain just needs to beat a floundering Uruguay team to win Group H after a shocking opening draw with Cape Verde.

Led by 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal and 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, Spain is still a favorite to go far.

On the other side, Argentina and Brazil look primed for deep runs. Messi appears to be on his way to snagging his first World Cup Golden Boot with five goals in two games for Argentina. Brazil, meanwhile, hasn’t allowed a goal since its draw with Morocco in Game 1.

Don’t count out Norway or Mexico as potential dark horses in this half, but they’d need to survive a gauntlet to make the final.

Source: NorthJersey.com