The knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup are well underway, with some exciting clashes to look forward to as the tournament heats up.There is plenty of action on Wednesday, as England face DR Congo, co-hosts Mexico take on Ecuador and Belgium finish off proceedings by meeting Senegal.Ahead of these games, we have a trio of selections which make up our best bets of the day.Treble your returns + £20 in free betsBet of the DayBet of the day – Mexico to beat Ecuador @ 23/20Mexico looked imperious during the group stage, finishing as one of only three nations to win all three matches.The Mexicans scored six goals in wins over South Africa, South Korea and the Czech Republic, conceding none. Topping the group meant Javier Aguirre’s side remain in their homeland for this clash against Ecuador.Ecuador enter this tie having beaten Germany 2-1 in their final match of the group stages, yet the South Americans were below par in the defeat to Ivory Coast and 0-0 draw with debutants Curacao.Defensively, Ecuador are superb, but Sebastian Beccaceca’s men tend not to score too many goals and this could be a problem. With the game taking place at the Estadio Azteca, Mexico have home advantage and this could be the decisive factor in the end.Bet BuilderSpecial of the Day – Harry Kane to score, Yoane Wissa 1+ shot on target & England to win @ 23/5Harry Kane made history by becoming England’s record scorer at the World Cup by netting his 11th goal in the win over Panama. That was his third goal of the tournament and he will be keen on adding a second Golden Boot to his collection.As such, expect him to get on the scoresheet once again during the round of 32. Yoane Wissa has scored twice at the World Cup and he will be DR Congo’s biggest goal threat in this tie. He averaged three shots per game in the group stages, so backing him to register one or more offers value to this bet builder.Backing England to win rounds things off nicely. The Three Lions look to have a relatively straightforward path into the quarter-finals and this should motivate Thomas Tuchel’s men to ease through this last 16 clash.AccaLongshot of the Day – Mexico vs Ecuador Both teams to score – No, DR Congo over 0.5 goals vs England & Belgium vs Senegal Draw @ 21/2Mexico have yet to concede in the tournament so far. Combine this with Ecuador’s lack of ruthlessness in front of goal suggests they might struggle against the co-hosts’ resolute defence.England have kept clean sheets across their previous two matches, but DR Congo might just spring a surprise when the nations meet in Atlanta.The African side scored once against Portugal and three times against Uzbekistan. With the pressure off having made history by reaching this stage, Wissa and Co have the potential to score at least once.Finally, the last game of the day is arguably the hardest to predict. Both Belgium and Senegal stuttered through the group stage, winning just one of their three games.These two sides both scored five times in their final group-stage matches, setting up this last 32 matchup nicely. It is evenly matched and it would not surprise me to see this tie go the distance.Treble your returns + £20 in free betsStay up to date with all the latest World Cup tips & predictions, World Cup Match Previews and all the best World Cup Betting Offers and Free Bets in our dedicated betting hubOdds correct at time of publish and subject to change.18+ New Customers only. Opt in, deposit and bet £10+ on any Football market (1/1+ odds) within 7 days of sign up. Get 3 Boost tokens and 2 x £10 Free bets for set Football markets. Rewards expire in 30 days. Click for T&Cs | GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsiblyRemember to gamble responsiblyA responsible gambler is someone who:Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chase their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressedGamCare – www.gamcare.org.ukGamble Aware – www.gambleaware.orgFor help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org