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Switzerland secured their place in the World Cup round of 16 with a commanding 2-0 victory over Algeria, powered by a breathtaking display from Johan Manzambi. The 20-year-old Freiburg forward, who has attracted serious transfer interest from Newcastle United, dismantled the Algerian defence and set up Breel Embolo for the opening goal in what proved to be a thoroughly one-sided contest. For Switzerland, it marked a historic milestone — their first knockout-stage win at a World Cup since 1938. Captain Granit Xhaka had been trying to temper rising expectations ahead of the match, but that task became considerably harder after

For the first time in 16 years, Spain claimed a World Cup knockout victory, dismantling Austria with a commanding 3-0 triumph at a sun-drenched Los Angeles venue to advance to the round of 16. Mikel Oyarzabal was the standout performer, netting twice across the 90 minutes, while Pedro Porro added a powerful header to complete a thoroughly one-sided contest that underlined Spain's growing momentum at the 2026 World Cup. A Breakthrough Built on Patience For the opening half-hour, Austria held firm against relentless Spanish pressure, and the deadlock appeared set to continue when Marc Cucurella drove home a corner-kick rebound

Belgium survived one of the most dramatic nights in recent World Cup history, overturning a two-goal deficit against Senegal to advance to the round of 16 thanks to a Youri Tielemans penalty struck in the 124th minute and 44 seconds — the latest winning goal ever recorded in the tournament's history. The match ended in controversy, with Senegal's players furious at the spot-kick decision that denied them what had seemed a certain shootout. A Familiar Sense of Injustice for Senegal For Senegal, the manner of defeat carried an uncomfortable echo. Earlier this year, at the Africa Cup of Nations final

Harry Kane struck twice in the closing stages to spare England one of the most damaging defeats in their World Cup history, as Thomas Tuchel's side overturned a first-half deficit to beat DR Congo 2-1 in Atlanta and secure a place in the round of 16. The Three Lions were within 15 minutes of a humiliating group-stage exit before their captain intervened with two decisive strikes. DR Congo's Early Advantage and England's Struggles DR Congo opened the scoring through Brian Cipenga, immediately placing England under pressure and exposing the fragility of Tuchel's attacking setup. For long stretches of the contest,

The United States advanced to the knockout rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. The match turned on a controversial red card that left the Americans playing with ten men for the final 26 minutes, yet they held firm and sealed the result through a brilliant free-kick from Malik Tillman. The co-hosts will now face Belgium in the round of 16 on Monday in Seattle, Washington. The Weight of History Winning a World Cup knockout match is no small thing for the United States men's

The Democratic Republic of Congo's upcoming clash with England in the World Cup round of 32 has captured the imagination of the Congolese diaspora worldwide. Few are better positioned to assess the matchup than Gabriel Zakuani, a former Leopards captain who has been instrumental in building the squad that now stands on the verge of a historic upset. Zakuani's Emotional Investment When offered a co-commentary slot for the DRC–England encounter, Gabriel Zakuani declined almost immediately. The emotional weight of the fixture — the most significant in the Leopards' modern history — made professional detachment impossible for the 40-year-old. Having already

Mexico secured their place in the World Cup round of 16 following a commanding performance against Ecuador, claiming a 2-0 triumph at the iconic Azteca Stadium in a match that had been delayed by severe weather conditions. Strikes from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez handed the tournament co-hosts a decisive cushion before the interval, and the home side maintained their composure throughout the second period to register their first victory in the knockout phase since 1986. The result extends Mexico's remarkable unbeaten run at their favoured venue and sets up a tantalising last-16 encounter. With this result, Javier Aguirre's squad

France dismantled Sweden 3-0 in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32, with Kylian Mbappe delivering a masterclass performance that etched his name further into the tournament's history books. The victory, played under sweltering conditions in New Jersey, sends Didier Deschamps' side into a last-16 clash with Paraguay. A Dominant Display in New Jersey Heat Both teams faced punishing temperatures at the venue, yet Les Bleus showed no signs of discomfort as they immediately set about overwhelming their opponents. Early chances came in rapid succession, though fortune initially refused to cooperate — an offside call wiped out what would have

Ståle Solbakken's bold squad rotation gamble paid off in dramatic fashion as Erling Haaland delivered a decisive late goal to secure Norway's passage into the World Cup knockout rounds, defeating Côte d'Ivoire in a tense encounter that went down to the wire. The Norwegian head coach had drawn widespread criticism for fielding a heavily rotated lineup in the preceding group fixture against France — a decision that left many supporters, including those who had spent considerable sums expecting to witness a clash between Haaland and Kylian Mbappé, deeply frustrated. Solbakken himself acknowledged the stakes, noting that the outcome of this

Kaishu Sano has offered a frank and sobering reflection on Japan's World Cup exit, insisting that no amount of positive play can compensate for failing to secure a result. The midfielder's words came after a dramatic knockout defeat to Brazil, in which the Samurai Blue pushed the South American giants to the very limit before ultimately falling short. A devastating late goal in the dying seconds of added time brought an abrupt end to Hajime Moriyasu's side's tournament ambitions, leaving the squad to confront the painful gap between a spirited display and an actual result. A Cruel Exit in the