Norway and England sealed their places in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals after producing memorable Round of 16 victories over Brazil and co-hosts Mexico respectively.
Norway 2-1 Brazil
Norway created history by defeating five-time champions Brazil 2-1 to reach the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals for the first time.
The South Americans had the perfect opportunity to take an early lead in the 14th minute when they were awarded a penalty, but Norwegian goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland produced a magnificent save to deny Bruno Guimarães, setting the tone for a heroic performance between the posts.
Both sides created chances throughout an entertaining first half, but neither could find the breakthrough as they went into the interval level at 0-0.
Brazil continued to press after the restart, and substitute Endrick came agonisingly close to scoring his first FIFA World Cup goal shortly before the hour mark, only to squander a golden opportunity.
Norway made Brazil pay for those missed chances.
In the 79th minute, Erling Haaland rose highest to power home a header and hand Norway the lead before producing a moment of brilliance in the closing stages. The Manchester City striker fired a low driven shot from outside the box in the 90th minute to complete his brace and effectively seal Norway’s place in the last eight.
Haaland’s two-goal haul took him to seven goals in the tournament, drawing level with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot.
Brazil found a late consolation through Neymar, who calmly converted a penalty to score what could be the final World Cup goal of his illustrious career, taking his international tally to 80 goals.
Despite the late strike, Brazil were unable to mount a comeback and suffered a historic elimination.
It marks the first time since 1990 that Brazil have failed to reach the men’s FIFA World Cup quarter-finals. The result also extended Norway’s remarkable unbeaten record against Brazil. In five meetings between the two nations, Norway remain unbeaten with three wins and two draws, making them the only national team to have faced Brazil multiple times without ever losing.
Norway’s dream tournament continues, with Nyland’s heroics and Haaland’s clinical finishing proving decisive in one of the biggest upsets of the competition.
England 3-2 Mexico
England survived a dramatic encounter against co-hosts Mexico to claim a thrilling 3-2 victory and book their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals.
One of the tournament’s most anticipated fixtures began an hour later than scheduled due to severe weather conditions, but once underway, it delivered everything fans had hoped for.
The opening stages were evenly contested before England gradually took control after the first hydration break.
Their dominance paid off in the 36th minute. A swift counter-attack started by Jordan Pickford saw Declan Rice release Bukayo Saka, whose superb cross found Jude Bellingham diving in to head England into the lead, silencing the packed Azteca Stadium.
Just two minutes later, England struck again.
Winning possession immediately from the restart, Elliot Anderson combined with Harry Kane, who cleverly laid the ball into Bellingham’s path. The midfielder made no mistake, firing home his second goal in as many minutes to put the Three Lions firmly in control.
Mexico responded before half-time through Julián Quiñones, who capitalised on a defensive scramble to smash the ball into the roof of the net and reduce the deficit to 2-1.
The hosts piled on the pressure before the break, but Pickford produced a string of outstanding saves while Bellingham also made a crucial goal-line clearance to preserve England’s slender advantage.
The game took another dramatic turn in the 54th minute when Jarell Quansah was shown a red card following a VAR review for a dangerous challenge.
The dismissal made Quansah the first England player to be sent off at a FIFA World Cup since Wayne Rooney against Portugal in 2006.
England manager Thomas Tuchel reshuffled his side, sacrificing Saka to introduce the experienced John Stones as England prepared to defend with ten men.
Despite being a player down, England earned a penalty just before the hour mark after Raúl Rangel brought down Anthony Gordon inside the area. Kane calmly converted from the spot to restore England’s two-goal cushion and register his sixth goal of the tournament.
Mexico refused to give up and pulled another goal back in the 69th minute when Raúl Jiménez converted a penalty after a controversial decision.
The hosts continued to attack relentlessly, and after a second hydration break in the 72nd minute, England faced wave after wave of pressure.
With 11 minutes of stoppage time added, England defended courageously, with Pickford producing more crucial saves as the Three Lions held on to secure a famous victory.
Reduced to ten men for more than half an hour, England showed immense resilience to overcome the co-hosts at the Azteca and secure a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals.
The victories set up another exciting chapter in the tournament as Norway and England join France and Morocco in the final eight, with the remaining quarter-final places still to be decided.
England and Norway will face off in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals in Miami, on 12 July at 2:30 AM (Sri Lanka Time), with a place in the semi-finals on the line.
