By Arinzechi Chukwunonso
England booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after edging co-hosts Mexico 3-2 in a pulsating Round of 16 encounter, as France, Morocco and Norway also secured their places in the last eight.
The Three Lions recovered from an early setback with Jude Bellingham scoring twice in quick succession in the 36th and 38th minutes to turn the game around. Julián Quiñones restored parity for Mexico six minutes later before England were reduced to 10 men following Jarell Quansah’s dismissal in the 54th minute. Harry Kane calmly converted a penalty in the 60th minute to restore England’s lead, and although Raúl Jiménez pulled one back in the 69th minute, Gareth Southgate’s side held on to set up a quarter-final showdown with Norway.
Norway produced the biggest upset of the Round of 16 by eliminating five-time champions Brazil 2-1. Erling Haaland struck twice to hand the Scandinavians a commanding lead before Neymar converted a stoppage-time penalty, but Brazil’s late rally fell short as Norway marched into the quarter-finals.
France were made to work hard for a narrow 1-0 victory over Paraguay, with Kylian Mbappé converting a penalty to send Les Bleus into the last eight, where they will face Morocco.
Morocco underlined their growing status among the tournament favourites with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Canada. Azzedine Ounahi broke the deadlock in the 50th minute before completing his brace in the 82nd minute. Soufiane Rahimi added a third goal in stoppage time to seal an impressive victory and send the Atlas Lions into a second consecutive FIFA World Cup quarter-final.
The race for the remaining quarter-final places continues on Monday with a blockbuster Iberian derby between Portugal and Spain, while the United States will face Belgium in the early hours of Tuesday. On Tuesday, defending champions Argentina will take on Egypt before Switzerland square off against Colombia in the final Round of 16 fixture.
