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Co-hosts France, Norway and Mexico have qualified for the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after securing convincing victories over Sweden, Ivory Coast and Ecuador respectively in the round of 16 on Tuesday.
The three nations joined Brazil, Canada, Morocco and Paraguay among the teams that advanced to the knockout stages as the race for soccer’s biggest prize gathered momentum in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Project reports
The day’s action produced a mix of dominant performances and dramatic finishes, with France underlining their title credentials, Norway surviving a spirited reaction from the Ivorians and Mexico delighting their home fans with an impressive victory at the iconic Estadio Azteca.
Mbappe shines as France dismantles Sweden
France issued a stark warning to their rivals with a crushing 3-0 win over Sweden at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
Didier Deschamps’ men dominated possession from the opening whistle and finally broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when captain Kylian Mbappe produced a brilliant shot in the 45th minute after combining beautifully with Michael Olise. fifa.com
The French champions returned from the break with renewed intensity and doubled their lead eight minutes into the second half. Bradley Barcola calmly finished in the 53rd minute after another incisive move orchestrated by Olise, who made his second assist of the evening.
Mbappe completed his brace in the 74th minute, running onto a perfectly weighted through ball before beating the Swedish goalkeeper to seal an emphatic victory and send France comfortably through to the last 16.
The Paris striker’s two goals took his tally in the tournament to six, placing him among the main contenders for the Golden Boot as France strengthened their status as favorites to lift the trophy.
France will now face Paraguay in the round of 16 after the South Americans stunned four-time champions Germany on penalties in one of Monday’s biggest upsets.
Haaland gives Norway the lead
Norway also advanced to the round of 16 after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Ivory Coast in Arlington, Texas.
Antonio Nusa gave the Scandinavians a deserved first-half lead after capitalizing on a defensive error to beat the Ivorian goalkeeper.
Ivory Coast reacted strongly after the break and were rewarded in the 74th minute when Amad Diallo finished brilliantly to restore parity and set up a tense finale.
With extra time looming, captain Erling Haaland proved decisive once again, scoring the winner in the 86th minute after intercepting a precise through ball before calmly beating the goalkeeper.
The goal secured Norway’s first round of 16 appearance in the modern World Cup era and took Haaland’s tally at the tournament to five goals.
Norway will now face five-time world champions Brazil in what promises to be one of the most important matches of the round of 16.
Mexico thrills the home fans
Hosts Mexico produced one of their best World Cup performances in decades, beating Ecuador 2-0 in front of a packed house at the Estadio Azteca.
Cheered on by thousands of passionate fans, El Tri got off to a great start and opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with Julián Quiñones, whose composed finish rewarded the initial Mexican dominance.
Veteran striker Raúl Jiménez doubled the lead in the 31st minute with a cynical finish after another stunning attacking move, sending the home crowd into celebration.
Ecuador attempted a comeback after the break, but struggled to penetrate Mexico’s organized defense.
Their frustrations were compounded in injury time when defender Piero Hincapié received a red card, effectively ending any hopes of a late recovery.
The victory ended Mexico’s long wait for a World Cup knockout victory and secured its place in the last 16, where it will face the winner of England’s clash with DR Congo.
The race to the quarter-finals intensifies
With the round of 32 drawing to a close, attention now turns to the remaining knockout matches involving England, Belgium, United States, Portugal, Spain and Argentina.
The expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams has already produced several big surprises, including the elimination of Germany and the Netherlands, while Morocco and Paraguay emerged as giant-killers by advancing to penalties.
Football fans around the world now expect another round of high-stakes matches as the battle for the quarter-finals intensifies.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup continued to live up to expectations, combining thrilling contests, dramatic finishes and outstanding individual performances as the world’s biggest football tournament enters its decisive stages.
