Morocco Marches On. Morocco comfortably cruised to a 3-0 win over co-hosts Canada, ending Canada’s World Cup campaign. Sealing a spot in the quarter finals, it was no surprise for a side riding on the belief built during the 2022 World Cup campaign. It was a statement win by the Africans.
Mbappé Breaks Paraguay’s Wall: Paraguay came to play annoying football with ultra-defensive tactics, often referred to as HaramBall, to stop France from finding the back of the net.
But in the 70th minute, Mbappe gave France the lead from the spot, and it was enough to send them to the quarter-finals.
It was Norway, not Brazil: Erling Haaland scored twice, both goals the kind that leave defenders looking at each other. Norway thrashed Brazil, ended Brazil’s campaign, and wrote history by advancing to the quarter-finals after beating the five-time world champions. The loss carried much more weight than an elimination, as Neymar, the prince who never claimed the crown, hung up his boots and announced his retirement from international football. Brazil’s loss carried much more weight than an elimination, as Neymar, the prince who never claimed the crown, hung up his boots and announced his retirement from international football.
England Beats the Altitude and Mexico: Every story about England vs Mexico focused on the altitude at the Azteca Stadium and how difficult it could be for English players to cope in such conditions, but Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane showed attitude in the face of the altitude to eliminate the co-hosts and advance to the next stage of the tournament.
Merino and Rodri, and Ronaldo’s “Last Dance”: Cristiano Ronaldo’s last World Cup campaign ended without the trophy. Spain defeated Portugal 1-0, thanks to a goal from super-sub Mikel Merino and Rodri’s MVP performance in midfield, controlling the tempo. It’s a huge heartbreak for Ronaldo fans all over the world. One of the goats of football is retiring without a World Cup trophy.
Belgium Makes a Statement Amid Controversy: Balogun’s suspension was overturned after the US president requested a review of the decision by FIFA. It raised questions about whether football’s governing body has bent under political pressure.
None of it mattered on the pitch as Belgium dismantled the USA, scoring 4 past them and qualifying for the next round with a huge 4-1 statement win.
Messi Delivers: Argentina was trailing 2-0 against Egypt, and everyone thought it was another heartbreak for another legend. But it was the defending champions. Romero scored Argentina’s first goal in the 79th minute, and Messi equalized minutes later. You can never write off Argentina. Enzo Fernández scored the winner in stoppage time, completing one of the craziest comebacks of the tournament and eliminating Egypt with a shock 3-2 win, sending Argentina to the quarter-finals.
Switzerland Survives: Switzerland and Colombia played out a tense game, but neither side could find the net. It came down to penalties, and Switzerland confirmed its spot in the quarter-finals with a 4-3 win.
That got us down to the final eight, now seven at the time of this writing: France, Spain, Belgium, Norway, England, Argentina, and Switzerland. Who is going to take home football’s ultimate prize?
