Canada has already achieved an unprecedented feat in the World Cup, while Mexico and the United States are also heading towards their best-ever performances in the global football festival, reaping the benefits of home advantage and crowd support in a remarkable way.

AFP looks at how the three host nations have shone, while other teams have struggled with the challenges of a tournament spread across three countries and 17 cities.

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- Mexico - Driven by fanatical support in stadiums and streets, Mexico ended a 40-year wait for a knockout victory by eliminating Ecuador to reach the round of 16. The 'El Tri' side is confident it can knock out England in what could become a World Cup classic on Sunday. Coach Javier Aguirre's team benefited from a relatively easy group, surpassing South Africa, South Korea, and Czech Republic. However, their first-half demolition of Ecuador, which had beaten Germany in the group stage and finished second in South American qualifying behind Argentina, served as a warning to England. Al-Qadsiah winger Julián Quiñones has emerged as a rising star for Mexico with three goals in four matches, while veteran striker Raúl Jiménez broke down in tears after ending his long goal drought in the World Cup during the opening match. In his third stint with the national team, Aguirre aims to achieve what eluded him in 2002 and 2010: leading Mexico to the quarterfinals, matching their best World Cup performance, achieved on home soil in 1970 and 1986. After celebratory crowds estimated at one million in the streets of Mexico City following the win over Ecuador, Aguirre said, 'I can say this team deserves what is happening to them.' He added, 'This great connection with the fans and playing in the World Cup.' - United States - Fears of the Americans failing to shine on home soil dissipated after the host team, led by Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, ignited enthusiasm in a country where football competes strongly with other sports for attention. The 2-0 round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded the highest TV ratings for a football match in US history, averaging 33.5 million viewers across all networks. Pochettino successfully transferred his renowned style, which made him one of the most sought-after coaches in Europe, based on vibrant attacking football, to the international stage. The US team got off to a strong start with a comprehensive 4-1 win over Paraguay, which later eliminated Germany. The red card to Folarin Balogun, one of the team's stars with three goals, against Bosnia and Herzegovina did not affect performance, as the Americans easily sealed the match with ten men. Despite Balogun's suspension, the host team does not fear facing Belgium in the round of 16 as it seeks to reach the quarterfinals for only the second time in its history. - Canada - Canada shattered its World Cup ambitions by reaching the knockout stage for the first time, in impressive fashion after thrashing Qatar 6-0. It finished second in Group Two behind Switzerland, forcing it to continue its journey in the United States. That was followed by its first-ever knockout win, over South Africa, thanks to a late goal by Stephen Eustáquio in Los Angeles. But it faces a tougher test in Houston on Saturday against Morocco, one of the top contenders. US coach Jesse Marsch described his team as 'Canadian heroes' simply for reaching this stage, calling the match against the fourth-place finisher in 2022 a 'pressure-free opportunity' to achieve a new milestone.