By Stephen Simon
Erling Haaland struck the decisive goal as Norway defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 to book a place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while France and Mexico also progressed with convincing victories as the knockout stage gathered momentum on Tuesday.
Haaland’s winner ensured Norway edged the African side in a closely contested encounter, setting up a mouth-watering last-16 clash against five-time champions Brazil. The victory continued Norway’s impressive campaign and underlined the striker’s reputation as one of the tournament’s most influential players.
France also advanced in emphatic fashion after cruising to a 3-0 victory over Sweden. Les Bleus dominated from start to finish to seal their place in the next round, where they will face Paraguay, who eliminated Germany on penalties in one of the biggest surprises of the competition.
Mexico joined the list of Round of 16 qualifiers with a comfortable 2-0 win over Ecuador. The victory kept the North Americans firmly on course for a deep run in the tournament as they now await the winner of Wednesday’s Round of 32 clash between England and DR Congo.
Attention now shifts to another busy day of knockout action, with England taking on DR Congo in one of the headline fixtures. Belgium will also face Senegal, while the United States battle Bosnia and Herzegovina for the remaining places in the last 16.
The knockout bracket is already beginning to take shape, with Canada set to meet Morocco and Brazil preparing for a high-profile showdown against Norway. France’s clash with Paraguay also promises to be one of the standout ties as the competition enters its decisive phase.
With the race for the quarter-finals intensifying, the margin for error has disappeared, leaving every remaining contender just one defeat away from elimination as the battle to lift football’s biggest prize gathers pace across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
