By Stephen Simon
England, Belgium and the United States secured places in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after emerging victorious in three dramatic Round of 32 matches that produced late goals, remarkable comebacks and a controversial red card.
England recovered from an early setback to defeat the Democratic Republic of Congo 2-1 in Atlanta, with captain Harry Kane scoring twice in the second half to rescue the Three Lions from what had threatened to become one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. DR Congo had stunned England by taking the lead through Brian Cipenga in the seventh minute before Kane struck in the 75th and 86th minutes to seal qualification.
In Seattle, Belgium produced one of the tournament’s most remarkable comebacks, overturning a two-goal deficit to edge Senegal 3-2 after extra time. Senegal looked set for victory after goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaïla Sarr gave the Africans a commanding lead. However, Romelu Lukaku sparked the fightback before Youri Tielemans equalised late in regulation time and converted a dramatic penalty deep into extra time to send Belgium into the next round.
The United States also booked their place in the last 16 with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara. Folarin Balogun gave the hosts the lead just before half-time but was later sent off following a VAR review for a challenge on Tarik Muharemovic. Despite playing with 10 men for much of the second half, the Americans remained resilient before Malik Tillman sealed the victory with a superb free-kick.
United States coach Mauricio Pochettino praised his players for their discipline and determination, insisting the controversial dismissal of Balogun did not derail their performance. The victory was the Americans’ first knockout-stage win at a World Cup in 24 years, although Balogun will miss the next match through suspension.
The latest results mean England will face Mexico in the Round of 16, while Belgium will take on the United States in what promises to be one of the standout fixtures of the knockout stage. Attention now turns to Thursday’s Round of 32 ties, with Spain facing Austria, Portugal taking on Croatia and Switzerland meeting Algeria as the battle for the World Cup title continues.
Thursday’s Round of 32 Fixtures
Spain vs Austria
Portugal vs Croatia
Switzerland vs Algeria
