FIFA World Cup 2026: US, Mexico, Canada Advance To The Round Of 16 Knockout Stage

UPDATE | England Beats France 6-4, In Classic FIFA World Cup Third-place Playoff

What a staggering, chaotic classic! England secured the 2026 FIFA World Cup third-place spot—claiming the bronze medal—with a breathless 6-4 victory over France at Miami Stadium in Florida. Spain will take on Argentina for the final match late Sunday at the New York New Jersey Stadium, to decide the tournament's champions.

Coach Thomas Tuchel's England side blindsided the French right from the opening whistle. Operating with clinical intensity, they effectively put the match beyond standard expectations by racing into a commanding 4-0 lead before the break.

Declan Rice opened the floodgates almost immediately, shocking the French backline in the second minute. Then in the 17th minute, Ezri Konsa doubled the advantage off a set piece. In the 37th and 46th minute just befoire half time break, Bukayo Saka took total control of the half, slotting home two goals in quick succession to firmly establish a four-goal cushion.

The French fought back in the second half. Coach Didier Deschamps made drastic changes at half-time, deploying four substitutions—including bringing on Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola—which totally flipped the script. France woke up and initiated a blistering comeback that turned the game into end-to-end chaos.

Kylian Mbappé pulled one back just after the restart in the 48th minute. Super-sub Bradley Barcola made it 4-2 in the 54th minute, breathing immense belief back into the Les Bleus squad. In the 66th minute Mbappé struck again for his second of the match, drawing France within a single goal at 4-3.

With the game hanging completely in the balance, both teams traded punches in a frantic final ten minutes. Bukayo Saka coolly stepped up to slot home a vital penalty kick in the 87th minute, securing his hat-trick and giving England a 5-3 lead.

Dembélé clawed it back to 5-4 at 96th minute, deep into stoppage time, setting up a nervy final sequence.

Jude Bellingham finalized the historic scoreline, putting the exclamation point on a 6-4 victory with a brilliant late goal in the 98th minute.

In the Golden boot race, Despite the loss, Mbappé's dynamic brace pushed him to 10 goals for the tournament, putting him two clear of Argentina's Lionel Messi (8 goals) and three ahead of Bellingham (7 goals) heading into the final matchday.

Both teams were heavily tipped to reach the main event. France entered their semi-final match as heavy favorites before being upset 2-0 by a masterful Spain side. England, meanwhile, suffered heartbreak after leading Argentina late into their semi-final, only to see the defending champions overturn the scoreline to win 2-1.

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UPDATE | Argentina Ends England's Bid To The FIFA World Cup Finals, In Dramatic 2-1 Victory

Argentina defeated England 2-1 in a dramatic 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal to advance to the final against Spain. The match, played in Atlanta, was defined by a historic late comeback from the defending champions, who overturned a second-half deficit in the final minutes of regulation time.

The match began with a tense, physical first half that featured no shots on goal and numerous fouls, reflecting the deep-seated rivalry between the two nations. Anthony Gordon broke the deadlock in the 55th minute with an acrobatic finish from a Morgan Rogers cross, giving England their first real scoring opportunity and putting them on the verge of their first World Cup final since 1966.

England subsequently retreated into a defensive shell, relying on goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who made several crucial saves to preserve the lead while Argentina struggled to break through.

Lionel Messi became the central architect of Argentina’s resurgence, providing two critical assists in the dying stages. In the 85th minute, Messi set up Enzo Fernández, who fired a stunning long-range shot to equalize.

Three minutes into stoppage time, Messi delivered a precise cross to substitute Lautaro Martínez, who headed home the winning goal. The victory extended Argentina’s legacy of overcoming adversity in the tournament and ended England’s bid for a second title in 60 years.

Argentina will face Spain in the final at MetLife Stadium, while England will play France in the third-place match.

The semifinal revived one of soccer’s fiercest rivalries, marked by iconic moments like Diego Maradona’s "Hand of God" and "Goal of the Century" in 1986, and David Beckham’s red card in 1998.

The match reignited diplomatic friction regarding the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), with Argentine Vice President Victoria Villarruel referring to England as "usurping pirates," leading to restrictions on fan banners. After the match, Argentina players took a banner from their fans and brought it onto the pitch, it read: "The Falkland Islands are Argentinian."

Argentina’s win keeps alive their dream of becoming the first team since Brazil (1958–1962) to win back-to-back World Cups. Messi, appearing in his sixth World Cup, continues to extend his record of impacting knockout-stage matches.

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UPDATE | Spain Dominates France, Advances To Their Second FIFA World Cup Final

Spain defeated France 2-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final, ending the French team's bid for a third consecutive final appearance and securing Spain's first final spot since their 2010 victory. The match, played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, saw Spain completely neutralize France’s star-studded attack led by Kylian Mbappé, who was rendered ineffective by a disciplined Spanish defensive structure.

The decisive moment arrived in the 22nd minute when Lamine Yamal drew a foul from Lucas Digne inside the box, leading to a penalty converted by Mikel Oyarzabal. This goal marked the first time France had trailed in the tournament, shifting the psychological momentum significantly.

France’s troubles compounded when William Saliba was forced off with an injury shortly after, disrupting their defensive stability. In the 58th minute, Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s lead with a clinical strike, effectively sealing the match.

Despite France’s attempts to inject energy with substitutions like Rayan Cherki and Desire Doue, they failed to create meaningful chances against a Spanish side that had conceded only once throughout the entire tournament. Spain will now face the winner of the England-Argentina semi-final in the championship match on July 19.

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UPDATE | Argentina, England Advance To The Semifinals Of The 2026 FIFA World Cup: Haaland Tears Up Over Norway Loss

Argentina and England advanced to the 2026 World Cup semifinals after dramatic extra-time victories over Switzerland and Norway, respectively, setting up a historic clash between the top-ranked teams in the tournament. Argentina defeated the 10-man Swiss side 3-1 in Kansas City, while England edged out Norway 2-1 in Miami, securing their first-ever semifinal meeting in a rivalry renewed after 36 years.

The match between Argentina and Switzerland was a tense tactical battle where the Swiss held the defending champions to a 1-1 draw through goals by Alexis Mac Allister and Dan Ndoye.

The game swung dramatically when Breel Embolo was sent off for a second yellow card following a VAR review for simulation, leaving Switzerland to defend for over 50 minutes. Julián Álvarez broke the deadlock in the 112th minute with a stunning long-range strike, and Lautaro Martínez added a late rebound in stoppage time to seal the 3-1 win, extending Argentina’s unbeaten streak in World Cup matches to 12.

In the earlier quarterfinal, England faced a resilient Norway side that opened the scoring through Andreas Schjelderup before halftime.

Jude Bellingham leveled the score with a precise slice just before the break and delivered the winner in extra time, completing a brace that kept England’s hopes alive for their first title since 1966. Manager Thomas Tuchel criticized his team’s sloppy performance despite the win, while the victory marked only England’s fourth appearance in a World Cup semifinal.

The two teams will meet in the semifinals on July 15 in Atlanta, where they will face off for the first time in a World Cup knockout stage since the 1990 quarterfinals. This matchup ensures that the final four consists of the top four ranked teams globally, with France and Spain set to face each other in the other semifinal on July 14.

The England-Argentina clash carries significant historical weight, tracing back to the 1986 "Hand of God" incident, now adding a new chapter to one of football’s most storied rivalries.

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UPDATE | France Defeats Morocco, Advances To Their Third Consecutive World Cup Semifinal

France defeated Morocco 2-0 in the first quarterfinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The victory sends France to their third consecutive World Cup semifinal, where they will face the winner of the Spain-Belgium match on July 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The match was scoreless through the first half despite France dominating possession and chances. The breakthrough moment came in the 26th minute when Kylian Mbappé was fouled by Morocco's Noussair Mazraoui inside the penalty area, earning a penalty kick. However, Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made a crucial save, diving to his left to stop Mbappé's softly-hit effort.

France finally broke through in the 60th minute when Mbappé redeemed his earlier miss with a superb curling shot from just inside the penalty area that found the back of the net past Issa Diop. This marked Mbappé's eighth goal of the tournament and his 20th career World Cup goal, moving him level with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race.

Just six minutes later at the 66-minute mark, reigning Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé doubled France's lead with a low strike from the top of the penalty area. Despite Bounou getting a hand to the ball, he couldn't push it wide enough, marking Dembélé's fifth goal of this World Cup.

Dembélé's performance was particularly noteworthy, as this was his fourth goal at Gillette Stadium during this World Cup, following his hat trick against Norway on June 26.

Mbappé was substituted off with about 15 minutes remaining after going down and spending time on the ground. However, the 27-year-old walked off under his own power and waved to the crowd to indicate he was alright, easing concerns about his availability for the semifinal.

France dominated the match statistically, registering 22 total shots compared to Morocco's mere 5 attempts, with only 1 on target for the Atlas Lions. The French side had 8 shots on goal while Morocco managed just 1, highlighting the defensive struggle throughout the match.

Despite Morocco having slightly more possession at 52% compared to France's 48%, the French were far more efficient in attack. France completed 485 passes with 89% accuracy, while Morocco completed 524 passes at 86% accuracy. Both teams earned 5 corner kicks each, but France's pressure was relentless throughout the second half.

France's victory Thursday, sets up a highly anticipated semifinal clash against either Spain or Belgium, who were scheduled to play their quarterfinal on July 10 in Inglewood. The winner of that match will face France on July 14 in Arlington, Texas, with a spot in the World Cup final on the line.

France has won the World Cup twice in their history—first in 1998 as the host nation and again in 2018 in Russia.

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UPDATE | Belgium Beats USA To Qualify For The Quarterfinals In The 2026 FIFA World Cup, Amid Balogun Red Card Controversy

Belgium defeated the United States 4-1 in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup at Lumen Field in Seattle, eliminating the co-hosts and advancing to the quarterfinals to face Spain. This comes amid the controversy surrounding FIFA's suspension of the one=game ban of American player Folarin Balogun.

Belgium dominated early when Nicolas Raskin exploited defensive lapses on the left, crossed low, and Charles De Ketelaere tapped in unmarked scoring in the 9th minute. The U.S. defense (including Sergiño Dest and others) was caught ball-watching.

In the 31th minute, Malik Tillman scored a free-kick from ~25 yards (straight-on but deeper than his previous one vs. Bosnia). It deflected off Belgian player Hans Vanaken and wrong-footed Thibaut Courtois, giving the US an equalizer that energized the American crowd.

In the 33rd minute, Leandro Trossard crossed from the byline; De Ketelaere headed home unmarked, beating Tim Ream. Poor marking again from the U.S. put Belgium ahead 2-1.

A major error by U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese when he came off his line for a long ball, chested it down under pressure from De Ketelaere, hesitated, and lost control. Hans Vanaken pounced for a long-range finish in the 57th minute putting Belgium ahead 3-1. This effectively ended U.S. hopes.

In the 93rd minute, Amrican Chris Richards' giveaway in the box allowed Romelu Lukaku to seal it in stoppage time, 4-1, for the Belgians.

Belgium dominated possession and exploited U.S. defensive errors and naivety throughout. De Ketelaere was outstanding. The U.S. had moments, especially after the equalizer, but looked overmatched, with Christian Pulisic underperforming before a leg injury forced him off. Balogun was largely quiet. Substitutions like Gio Reyna and Ricardo Pepi couldn't turn it around.

Belgium joins Spain (their next opponent, Friday in the LA area), England, Norway, France, and Morocco in the quarterfinals. All three co-hosts, USA, Canada, Mexico, were eliminated in the Round of 16.

Pre-match coverage which added extra tension, Monday, was a surprise move by FIFA. The soccer body suspended Balogun's one-game ban (probationary period of one year under their disciplinary code, Article 27). If he commits a similar offense in that period, the ban activates. But he was cleared to play in the match against Belgium, after President Trump's intervention.

Trump and U.S. officials appealed to FIFA, including a phone call to the organization's President Gianni Infantino.

Critics called it favoritism toward the co-hosts. Belgium's federation in a statement said it was "astonished," and accused FIFA of crossing a "red line" on fair play. The Belgian soccer body appealed the decision but FIFA denied it. They considered post-match challenges to the decision, but the match proceeded with Balogun playing. Given the match result early Tuesday morning (UTC), the Belgians may not bother appealing afterall.

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UPDATE | Trump Confirms Phone Call To FIFA President Over Balogun Red Card Decision: That Wasn't A Foul

President Donald Trump confirmed he personally called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of Folarin Balogun's red card, stating he "didn't think it was a foul" and initially did not understand the suspension implications.

"I've never seen anything like it. I saw the play... that wasn't a foul," Trump told reporters at the White House Monday. "That wasn’t even an infraction. That was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other... So yes, I asked for a review by FIFA."

White House officials reportedly orchestrated a multi-day legal and political campaign to overturn the sanction after Balogun was ejected and given a one-game ban during a 2–0 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who attended the match, and Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House World Cup task force, recruited lawyers to challenge the use of slow-motion replay in the VAR decision and raised unproven allegations regarding the referee's history.

While Trump told reporters he only asked for a review and claimed no influence over the independent disciplinary committee's outcome, sources indicate he made multiple calls to Infantino to secure the reversal under Article 27 of FIFA's disciplinary code, which permits suspending disciplinary measures for probation.

Following this intervention and the submission of additional evidence by the U.S. government, FIFA reversed Balogun's one-game suspension on July 5, 2026, marking the first time since 1962 a World Cup red card did not result in a mandatory ban.

The decision allows Balogun to play for Team USA against Belgium in the Round of 16, though it sparked outrage from the Belgian federation and accusations of compromised tournament integrity from UEFA.

The reversal has drawn sharp criticism and raised questions about political influence in sports governance. The Belgian football federation described the decision as "astonishing" and filed an unsuccessful appeal, while UEFA called it "incomprehensible and unjustifiable."

Infantino said in a statement: “I have seen the public comments regarding the decision of the independent FIFA Disciplinary Committee related to the suspension of Folarin Balogun, and I would like to reiterate a fundamental principle of FIFA’s governance.

“FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected.

“Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues. During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.

“I read the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes I am surprised by them. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree.

“What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them. Whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant. Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times.” 

Trump, who previously received the inaugural "FIFA Peace Prize" from Infantino, celebrated the move on Truth Social as correcting a "great injustice." Many soccer analysts and commentators have also criticized the referee's decision in to issue the red card, saying it was a unfair and wrong call.

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UPDATE | England, France Advance To The Quarterfinals; Brazilian Players Cry After Loss To Norway

England defeated Mexico 3-2 in the Round of 16 at Estadio Azteca early morning UTC, Monday, advancing to the quarterfinals against Norway.

Mexico, as co-hosts, entered the match with strong home support and momentum after beating Ecuador 2-0 in the Round of 32. Mexican fans had previously disrupted Ecuador's preparations with loud noise outside their hotel. They attempted the same tactic against England.

England tried to keep their hotel location secret (reportedly booking multiple options) and arrived in Mexico City amid a hostile reception. Hundreds of fans booed the team bus upon arrival. Heavy security followed, with over 100 riot police in bulletproof vests, a fence, Guardia Nacional officers, and other measures (including a police dog and drone) around the hotel—likely the JW Marriott in Santa Fe.

Despite these efforts, hundreds of Mexican fans gathered late Saturday night. They used loudspeakers, horns, drums, trumpets, music, chanting "Mexico," revving engines, and fireworks in a "serenata" to disrupt the players' sleep. Police kept most fans at a distance, pushing some back ~200 meters, and the hotel's soundproofing helped limit the impact. England still faced a raucous atmosphere at the Azteca. The match itself was delayed about an hour by severe weather.

England took control with Jude Bellingham's two rapid first-half goals--in the 36th-and 38th-minute--assisted by Bukayo Saka and Kane. Mexico pulled one back quickly Julián Quiñones' 42nd minute volley before halftime. In the second half, England went down to 10 men when Jarell Quansah received a straight red card after dangerous challenge on Jesús Gallardo, around the 54th-minute. Harry Kane's 69th-minute penalty restored a two-goal cushion for the English.

Mexico got a 69th-minute penalty back through Jiménez Raúl Jiménez after another foul involving Kane.

England then defended resiliently for the rest of the match, with standout performances from goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and winger Anthony Gordon helping them hold on despite Mexico's pressure and home advantage.

This was Mexico's first World Cup loss at the Azteca (a historic venue for them), ending their run and extending their wait for a quarterfinal appearance since 1986. England avenged some historical ghosts from their last visit to the stadium.

England will face Norway (who upset Brazil 2-1 in the Round of 16, with Erling Haaland scoring twice) in the quarterfinals, this weekend in Miami.

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