The Round of 32 drama reaches a Nick Hornby-esque fever pitch as the single-elimination stakes intensify, and for Irish fans, watching our old neighbours try to navigate a potential banana skin is mandatory viewing.

First up in the colossal dome of Atlanta, England lock horns with DR Congo. Thomas Tuchel’s side safely topped their traditionally easy group without overly impressing so far. That’s all in the dustbin of history as they lean into the knockout stages. Despite Roy Keane’s best efforts to keep his more excitable colleagues grounded, the British media have practically mapped out a smooth route to the quarter-finals, but if England’s central defence switches off for even a millisecond, DR Congo have the high-pressing transitional engines to turn this into a chaotic, sweltering firefight. Expect a tense affair where any English complacency under the Georgia lights will be brutally exposed.

Meanwhile, later tonight out west, co-hosts the USA face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the City by the Bay, San Francisco. The American hype machine is operating at absolute maximum capacity, and local fans are already treating a deep tournament run as a star-spangled inevitability. However, the inside word from Mauricio Pochettino’s camp indicates that their squad depth is being pushed to its absolute limits, with fitness updates confirming a couple of late checks for key midfield creators. Bosnia are notorious for setting up a stubborn, uncompromising defensive low-block, and if they can frustrate the hosts early on, the emotional pressure inside the stadium will start to feel incredibly heavy.

The knockout matrix is narrowing, the margin for error has shrunk to millimetres, and there are absolutely no second chances left.

Whatever happens on that pitch, The Heat Map won’t let you down.