Joint Hosts Mexico, USA, and Canada Chase Landmark Achievements in Round of 16

Canada has already etched its name in World Cup history, while Mexico and the USA are poised to surpass their previous best performances in the tournament, leveraging the advantage of playing on home turf to great effect.

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The three co-hosts have flourished in the sprawling tournament, which spans 17 cities across three countries, whereas other teams have struggled to find their footing.

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Mexico's campaign has been fueled by fervent fan support, both in stadiums and on the streets, as they ended a 40-year drought by winning a knockout game against Ecuador to advance to the last 16.

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With their confidence soaring, El Tri is now eyeing a potential World Cup classic against England on Sunday, a match that could see them eliminate one of the tournament favorites.

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Mexico's journey to the last 16 was facilitated by a favorable group-stage draw, which allowed them to ease past South Africa, South Korea, and the Czech Republic with relative ease.

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However, their resounding first-half victory over Ecuador, a team that had previously beaten Germany in the group stages and finished second to Argentina in South American qualifying, served as a warning to England.

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Winger Julian Quinones has emerged as Mexico's breakout star, scoring three goals in four games, while veteran striker Raul Jimenez was overcome with emotion after finally scoring his first World Cup goal in the tournament's opening game.

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Now in his third stint as Mexico's coach, Javier Aguirre is determined to achieve what he failed to do in 2002 and 2010, by guiding his team to the quarter-finals and matching their best-ever World Cup performance on home soil, set in 1970 and 1986.

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Aguirre expressed his pride in the team, stating, "I can tell you that this team deserves what is happening," after a reported 1 million people took to the streets of Mexico City to celebrate the win over Ecuador, highlighting the strong connection between the team and their fans.

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The USA has dispelled any concerns that they would fail to make an impact in their own tournament, with Mauricio Pochettino's team energizing a nation where football often takes a backseat to other sports.

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A 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last 32 attracted a record-breaking 33.5 million viewers across all networks, making it the most-watched football match in US television history.

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Pochettino's high-energy, attacking brand of football has been successfully implemented at the international level, as evidenced by their 4-1 thrashing of Paraguay, a team that went on to eliminate Germany and reach the last 16.

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Even the sending off of star player Folarin Balogun, who has scored three goals in the tournament, against Bosnia could not derail the USA, as they comfortably saw out the game with 10 men.

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With a last-16 clash against Belgium on the horizon, Pochettino's men remain unfazed, even without the suspended Balogun, as they aim to reach the quarter-finals for only the second time in their history.

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Canada shattered their World Cup glass ceiling by advancing to the knockout stages in style, thrashing Qatar 6-0 and finishing second in Group B behind Switzerland.

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This meant that Canada was forced to play the remainder of the tournament on American soil, where they secured a first-ever knockout victory against South Africa, courtesy of Stephen Eustaquio's late strike in Los Angeles.

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A much tougher task awaits Canada in Houston on Saturday, as they face off against highly fancied Morocco, with outspoken coach Jesse Marsch branding his team "Canadian heroes" for making it this far.

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Marsch views the match against the 2022 semi-finalists as a "free hit" at more glory, indicating that the pressure is off, and his team can play with freedom and abandon.