In the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32, three exciting knockout matches ended with Mexico, France, and Norway secured their places in the Round of 16. Norway edged past Ivory Coast in a tightly contested encounter decided by Erling Haaland’s late winner, while France comfortably dispatched Sweden behind another outstanding performance from Kylian Mbappé, and Mexico thrilled the home crowd with a composed win over Ecuador.
Norway 2-1 Ivory Coast: Haaland Delivers Late Winner
Norway survived a determined challenge from the Ivory Coast to earn a hard-fought 2-1 victory and secure qualification for the Round of 16.
After a competitive opening half, Antonio Nusa gave Norway the lead in the 39th minute with an excellent finish that rewarded their growing control of the match.
Ivory Coast responded strongly after the break and deservedly equalised through Amad Diallo in the 74th minute, setting up a tense final phase.
With extra time appearing increasingly likely, Erling Haaland once again demonstrated his goal-scoring quality by finding the winner in the 86th minute. Norway defended confidently during the closing minutes to preserve their narrow advantage and progress to the next stage.
Key Match Stats: Norway vs Ivory Coast
Full-Time: Norway 2-1 Ivory Coast
Goals
- Antonio Nusa (39′): Norway 1-0 Ivory Coast
- Amad Diallo (74′): Norway 1-1 Ivory Coast
- Erling Haaland (86′): Norway 2-1 Ivory Coast
France 3-0 Sweden: Mbappé Shines as Les Bleus Cruise Through
Two-time WC champions and last two WC finalists France continued their impressive FIFA World Cup campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Sweden to advance comfortably to the Round of 16.
Sweden frustrated France for much of the opening half, but the breakthrough finally arrived just before the interval when Kylian Mbappé finished clinically to put Les Bleus ahead.
France completely dominated the second half. Bradley Barcola doubled the advantage shortly after the restart before Mbappé added his second goal of the evening to seal another convincing victory.
The French defence remained solid throughout the contest, securing another clean sheet while their attack once again proved too strong for the opposition.
Key Match Stats: France vs Sweden
Full-Time: France 3-0 Sweden
Goals
- Kylian Mbappé (45′, 74′)
- Bradley Barcola (53′)
Mexico 2-0 Ecuador: El Tri End Long Knockout Wait
Mexico celebrated a memorable night in front of their home supporters by defeating Ecuador 2-0 to reach the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16.
The co-hosts created several promising chances early in the contest and were rewarded in the 22nd minute when Julián Quiñones opened the scoring with a composed finish. Mexico continued to control possession and doubled their advantage before half-time through Raúl Jiménez, who finished off another well-worked attacking move.
Ecuador attempted to fight back after the interval but struggled to break down Mexico’s organised defence. Their frustrations boiled over deep into stoppage time when Piero Hincapié was sent off due to covering his mouth, ending any hopes of a late comeback.
With a disciplined defensive display and clinical finishing, Mexico booked a deserved place in the Round of 16.
Key Match Stats: Mexico vs Ecuador
Full-Time: Mexico 2-0 Ecuador
Goals
- Julián Quiñones (22′)
- Raúl Jiménez (31′)
Red Card
- Piero Hincapié (90+5′)
Three Teams March into the Round of 16
Mexico’s victory delighted the home supporters as El Tri finally secured a memorable FIFA World Cup knockout win. France reaffirmed their status as one of the tournament favourites with another dominant display led by Kylian Mbappé, while Norway showed resilience to overcome the Ivory Coast in one of the closest Round of 32 ties.
All three nations now move on to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, where the competition is set to become even more intense as the battle for the world title continues.