Haaland’s heroics sink Brazil
You can’t prevent the inevitable, and the unstoppable Erling Haaland was the deciding factor in this tie, netting a brilliant double to help Norway to a historic 2-1 victory over Brazil.
Haaland’s second-half goals – a towering header and a sweet, arrowed strike into the bottom corner – earned Norway a World Cup quarter-final spot for the first time in the country’s history, despite Neymar’s incredibly late penalty threatening to ruin the party.
Alongside the Manchester City frontman, Norway also have Ørjan Nyland to thank, after the currently clubless goalkeeper saved Bruno Guimarães’ penalty in the first half.
Nevertheless, the untameable Haaland and will rightfully grab the headlines, moving level with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé on seven goals at the top of the 2026 World Cup scoring charts.
Neymar was in tears after the full-time whistle on what was his 15th and final World Cup appearance for Brazil, while Haaland led Norway’s already iconic Viking Row by banging the drum to dictate the celebration. Safe to say, it’s the greatest result in Norwegian football history, and with their formidable goal-scoring machine up top, anything is possible for the Scandinavians.
England dig deep to overcome Mexico in a thriller
In a game that truly had everything, England battled to secure a hard-fought and momentous 3-2 victory over Mexico at a feverish Azteca.
Kick-off was delayed by an hour due to extreme weather, and when the action did get underway, England undermined the pre-match talk about how playing at such a high altitude (2,200m above sea level) would negatively impact their performance.
Jude Bellingham’s quickfire double – the second-earliest a player has scored twice in a World Cup match for England, after Gary Lineker vs. Poland in 1986 – fired Thomas Tuchel’s side into a 2-0 lead before Julián Quiñones’ drilled finish halved the deficit.
Jarrel Quansah’s red card left England fans fearing the worst, but Harry Kane’s clinical penalty – his sixth goal of the tournament – restored the Three Lions’ two-goal advantage. Raúl Jiménez replicated Kane’s calmness, stroking a penalty of his own into the bottom corner to set up a frenetic ending, but England defiantly held on to book their 11th World Cup quarter-final, with only Brazil (15) and Germany (14) having reached more in the competition’s history.
40 years on, returning to the scene of Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal, England condemned Mexico to a rare defeat at the Azteca. The sporting cathedral is an iconic landmark, befitting of the full-throttle football that was on show throughout the 101 minutes in the Mexican capital.
Another belting rendition of Oasis’ ‘Wonderwall’ anthem was sung by the England players, coaching staff and fans after the full-time whistle. Once again, there’s palpable belief that these players could go all the way.
Norway and England now set for quarter-final clash
Following their closely-contested last-16 victories, both England and Norway enjoyed heartfelt celebrations with their supporters. When they meet for their quarter-final next Saturday, only one nation will experience similar jubilation.
Tuchel must try and find out the formula to neutralise Haaland’s threat. The 25-year-old is in the form of his life for Norway, having now scored in 14 successive competitive appearances for this country, netting a whopping 27 goals in that run. Out of nowhere, he can just pop up and convert a chance with deadly composure.
Norway’s team talk won’t be easy either. Through Kane and Bellingham, England possess two world-class attackers who love to deliver on the big occasion. The pair have bagged 10 of the Three Lions’ 11 goals at this tournament
Miami will host this mouthwatering encounter, with the two nations aiming to build on the goodwill and unity generated by their previous knockout exploits.
The last 16 is in full swing and Monday looks set to be another thrilling episode of action as the quarter-finals begin to take serious shape.
First off, two heavyweights collide as reigning European champions Spain face Portugal in a mouthwatering encounter between the Iberian neighbours.
Next up, the United States aim to keep their World Cup dream alive in their homeland when they play Belgium in Seattle.
Next-Gen Yamal’s Spain out to end Ronaldo’s World Cup dream with Portugal
Everyone associated with Portugal breathed a huge sigh of relief when Joško Gvardiol’s equaliser in the 13th minute of second-half stoppage was ruled out because Mario Pašalić had strayed offside, allowing Roberto Martínez’s side to claim a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory.
Earlier Cristiano Ronaldo - who confirmed he’s featuring in his last World Cup - was ecstatic when he netted the equaliser from the penalty spot to score his first knockout-stage goal on his ninth appearance. The 41-year-old’s mood turned when he was taken off for Gonçalo Ramos, but Martínez’s decision was vindicated when the recent Milan signing headed in the winner.
After finishing second in their group and only just squeezing past Croatia in the last-32, Portugal have been far from convincing in this tournament. And they won’t have it any easier against one of the favourites to lift the trophy.
Spain effortlessly coasted past Austria in their Round of 32 tie, winning 3-0 thanks, in part, to a brace from Mikel Oyarzabal. Luis de la Fuente’s men are not only unbeaten at this World Cup they have yet to concede a goal, and with Lamine Yamal seemingly back to full strength, they are purring in attack.
La Roja have won all nine games that Yamal has started in at major tournaments. And despite not turning 19 until next Monday, the dazzling winger is absolutely indispensable and could easily be the difference that sends Ronaldo home in the final World Cup game of an illustrious career.
USA and Belgium grit their teeth to tussle for a last-16 spot
Nerves were jangling throughout the United States when star striker Folarin Balogun was sent off after 64 minutes, having put Mauricio Pochettino’s side ahead in the first half in their Round of 32 clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The co-hosts demonstrated tremendous determination to protect their 1-0 advantage with 10 men, before Malik Tillman’s late free-kick doubled the lead. It underlined the togetherness of the current American squad, who sealed their nation’s first World Cup knockout triumph since 2002, while also posting their third win of the tournament – the most the USA have managed in a single edition of the competition. These records aren’t cemented. Instead, they could be extended.
It’s still somewhat unbelievable that opponents Belgium are still in the tournament after falling 2-0 behind against Senegal last time out. Somehow, out of absolutely nowhere, the Red Devils rallied, launching the latest ever two-goal comeback to avoid defeat inside 90 minutes at a World Cup, with Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans both netting late on to haul the match into extra time.
Tielemans’ winning penalty in the 125th minute was also the latest goal scored in World Cup history, displaying that, just like the USA, Belgium also understand how to dig deep and battle against the odds to victory. Can they follow up their later-than-late showing by bursting the bubble of the last co-host left in the competition?
The reward for the winners is an even more intimidating challenge against either Spain or Portugal.
What’s happened with Balogun’s red card?
With three goals at this World Cup, Balogun has been one of the USA’s most important players in his nation’s journey to the last 16. So when he was dismissed for a debatable foul on Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemović, it looked as if Pochettino would have to navigate the game against Belgium without his first-choice striker.
But FIFA have controversially stepped in, ruling that the automatic one-match ban would be suspended for a year, citing article 72 of their disciplinary code as the reasoning.
Spare a thought for Belgium, who must be especially frustrated, given that they’ve probably spent the last few days preparing for the tie under the impression that Balogun would not be involved.
Balogun’s goal and red card meant he’s the first player to score and receive his marching orders in a World Cup match since Zinedine Zidane’s unforgettable role in the 2006 final. Unlike Zizou 20 years ago, Balogun’s tournament is still alive and he could easily play a starring role against Belgium.
