SEATTLE — If you weren’t a soccer person three weeks ago, there’s a real good chance you are today.

If you were down on the aesthetics of the beautiful game, it probably looks like a Rembrandt now.

There has been no shortage of heart-racing drama. The average BPM hasn’t dipped below triple digits.

There are still myriad games to go, and those outcomes will affect how posterity views this World Cup. For now, though, it’s on pace to be in the best-ever conversation.

That might feel like recency bias, but this is the first year the knockout stage has expanded to 32 teams. Purists may have had their doubts about the bloated bracket, but those question marks have turned into exclamation points.

Belgium’s Wednesday win at Seattle Stadium, where it came back from two goals down to beat Senegal 3-2 in the round of 32, only added to the exhibition of exhilaration. Another one? Are you serious?

Monday, after all, featured three instant classics. First, Brazil came back from a goal down after halftime to beat Japan, 2-1. Then, after a controversial foul call took a goal away from Germany, 34th-ranked Paraguay upset heavily-favored Deutschland in a shootout. Later that night, after Morocco tied the Netherlands at 1-1 in extra time, it beat the seventh-ranked Dutch team in penalty shots.

Could that be topped? Maybe not, but Wednesday did its best to try. First, England came back from a one-goal deficit with scores in the 75th and 86th minute to beat Congo, 2-1. Then, Belgium scored in the 86th, 89th and 120th minute — the last coming on a penalty kick on a highly-debated foul call — to secure the 3-2 win. And finally — despite leading scorer Folarin Balogun drawing a red card that put the Americans down a man — the U.S. topped Bosnia, 2-0, on the heels of a free-kick goal by Malik Tillman in the 82nd minute.

Not all of these knockout games have provided such theater. Mexico beat Ecuador, 2-0, and France topped Sweden, 3-0. But between the aforementioned thrillers, Norway’s 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast and Canada’s 1-0 victory over South Africa, yawns have been in short supply in the knockout rounds.

But the wonder of this year’s World Cup has gone beyond the elimination games. Argentina’s Lionel Messi, probably the greatest soccer player of all time, has scored six goals in three games en route to becoming the WC’s all-time leading goal scorer (19). France’s Kylian Mbappé, maybe the greatest player today, has also scored six goals and is two behind Messi all time. Norway’s Erling Haaland and England’s Harry Kane, meanwhile, are tied for third for goals in this World Cup. You want a recipe for an all-time tournament? Blend comebacks, underdogs and maximum output from the superstars. That’s what we have so far.

Of course, none of those players above have played in Seattle in this event, but the Emerald City has done just fine without them. Not just in terms of an atmosphere that has garnered worldwide attention, but because of the play on the pitch.

It started with a 1-1 draw between Belgium and Egypt in which each side had a number of late chances to take the lead. Then came the United States’ 2-0 win over Australia four days later, which locked up first place in the group stage for Americans. A 3-1 Bosnia win over Qatar followed, then a 1-1 draw between Egypt and Iran, when Iran was stripped of a goal in second-half stoppage time due to a player being a foot offside. That goal would have sent Iran to its first knockout game since 1978.

Topping all of that was Wednesday, though. It appeared Senegal was not only going to upset 10th-ranked Belgium, but do so in a rout. It was the better team for the first 90% of the game, but in the final four minutes of regulation, a 2-0 Senegal lead turned into a 2-2 tie. Then after Belgium’s Dodi Lukébakio nicked the crossbar in the 120th minute, video assistant referee (VAR) found that Senegal’s Lamine Camara fouled Belgium’s Youri Tielemans in the penalty area. Tielemans went on to score on a penalty kick and win the game for his country.

We’ve seen NCAA basketball tournaments that featured nonstop nail-biting in the first two rounds, only for the blowouts to comprise the Sweet 16 and beyond. The stakes of these group-stage games and early knockout rounds are lower than what will follow.

Thus far, the biggest sporting event in the world has lived up to its billing. Scratch that — surpassed it.

No doubt that Balogun’s red card dampened America’s outlook. He’s currently suspended for the round of 16 vs. Belgium in Seattle next Monday.

But overall, the U.S. has dazzled as a team. And just maybe, even more as a host.

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