- Share via
Mexico ends World Cup knockout round drought, defeats Ecuador to reach round of 16
MEXICO CITY — Mexico once again enjoyed a night of celebration with its fans, this time after defeating an old nemesis — the knockout stage of the World Cup.
El Tri won its first knockout match at a World Cup since 1986, beating Ecuador 2-0 on Tuesday night at the majestic Azteca Stadium packed with 80,824 fans.
- Share via
Mexico vs. Ecuador kicks off after weather delay
Mexico versus Ecuador has kicked off after a weather delay.
- Share via
Kylian Mbappé and France dominate Sweden, see room to improve
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Kylian Mbappé put France ahead with a brilliant crossover step in the 45th minute and then added a second-half goal to break a World Cup knockout round scoring record, and Les Bleus beat Sweden 3-0 Tuesday to set up a round of 16 match against Paraguay.
Bradley Barcola added a 53rd-minute goal for France and Mbappé capped the scoring in the 74th minute for his third two-goal game in four matches. His six goals tied Argentina forward Lionel Messi for the tournament lead and gave him 18 in his World Cup career, one shy of Messi’s record.
“I’m very aware of who I am, how I play, what I shall do, but it’s not just about me,” Mbappé said through a translator. “The entire team is aware of what should be done. It is a new competition that has started today. We did play well, but we were timid. We could have done better at the beginning.”
Mbappé’s 10 knockout round goals are two more than the previous high by Brazilian greats Leonidas and Ronaldo. France coach Didier Deschamps bowed when his star came to the bench after he was substituted in the 85th minute.
“We’re on a mission — so am I with them,” Deschamps said through a translator.
France, the World Cup runner-up four years ago and a tournament favorite this time, has outscored opponents 13-2, with Michael Olise assisting on five goals.
“They are skilled at knowing when to change the pace and increase it, when to possess the ball, went to fall back,” Sweden captain Victor Lindelöf said through a translator.
Seeking to reach its third straight World Cup final, France plays Paraguay on July 4 in Philadelphia, and the winner advances to a quarterfinal against Canada or Morocco five days later at Foxborough, Massachusetts.
On a brutally hot afternoon at MeLife Stadium, site of the World Cup final in July 19, France outshot Sweden 25-7, including 15-3 in the first half. It was 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius), sunny and humid at the 5 p.m. kickoff with poor air quality. During the first half hydration break, France defender Lucas Digne let himself be doused by a sprinkler.
Mbappé hit a post in the 32nd minute, raising both hands in disgust, and France nearly went ahead four minutes later on Olise’s spectacular bicycle kick from just inside the penalty area, which also clanked off a post.
In the first World Cup meeting between the nations, Mbappé scored after goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström tipped Olise’s shot just outside the post.
Olise played a short corner kick to Ousmane Dembélé, who passed to Mbappé near the byline. Mbappé took a crossover step to get around Viktor Gyökeres and from just outside the 6-yard box sent a diagonal shot inside the far post.
Mbappé ran up the center of the field to celebrate his 61st international goal, colliding with Dembélé, and jogged to the bench to hug Deschamps, who returned for the match after going to France for his mother’s funeral.
“He knows that he will never be alone with us and we will support him,” Mbappé said.
Gustaf Lagerbielke lost the ball ahead of France’s second goal. Aurélien Tchouaméni passed to Olise, who nutmegged Lagerbielke, and Barcola took a centering touch and sent the ball past Zetterström’s outstretched right hand.
Mbappé entertained the crowd with a backheel pass to Barcola in the buildup to France’s third goal. Barcola passed to Olise, who passed to Mbappé as the star sprinted into the penalty area. He steadied the ball with a touch and fired the ball inside the far post.
A crowd of 80,663 raised the record total for the expanded 104-match tournament above 5 million. A majority of fans wore France’s blue, with a pocket in Sweden’s yellow at one end.
“If we look at where we were not so long ago — we’re here and we’ve played in the World Cup,” Lindelöf said. “We lost against one of the best countries in the world.”
Mbappé wasn’t quite ready to turn his attention to Paraguay just yet.
“I’m looking forward to the changing room and the AC,” he said.
- Share via
France coasts to a win over Sweden, advances
France 3, Sweden 0, final
Kylian Mbappé was replaced in the 85th minute and France coasted the rest of the way to a 3-0 win.
France controlled possession 61% of the time, held a 12-3 shots on goal advantage and a 5-0 big chances created advantage.
It was a dominant performance by France, which is looking like one of the strongest tournament teams.
- Share via
Kylian Mbappé scores again, ties Lionel Messi for World Cup golden boot lead
France 3, Sweden 0, 74th minute
Kylian Mbappé is coming for Lionel Messi’s World Cup scoring record.
Michael Olise finds a gap and delivers a precision pass to Mbappé, who floats along the left side of the box and scores with a shot across the face of goal.
Mbappé has scored 18 World Cup goals, one behind Messi’s mark, and is tied with golden boot leader Messi with six so far this tournament.
- Share via
Bradley Barcola scores, extending France’s lead
France 2, Sweden 0, 53rd minute
France’s Aurélien Tchouaméni intercepted a pass in the midfield and fed Michael Olise, who nutmegged a Swedish player and fed Bradley Barcola in the box. Barcola took one touch and scored.
- Share via
After many chances, Mbappé finally scores
France 1, Sweden 0, halftime
It was only a matter of time.
France peppered five shots on goal, two that hit the post and others that sailed off target. Sweden goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström delivered five saves, but before Kylian Mbappé would not be denied.
Ousmane Dembele passed to Mbappé, who rocketed a shot from the center of the box to the top right corner of the box. Mbappé has scored the most FIFA men’s World Cup knockout round goals with nine.
Sweden had one quick run and apparent goal before stoppage time expired, but Sweden Daniel Svensson was called offsides.
France dominated possession 71% of the first half and Sweden is fortunate to only be down 1-0 at the break.
- Share via
France, Sweden scoreless early after Mbappé goal erased
France 0, Sweden 0, 25th minute
France has controlled possession 65% of the time and earned a 2-1 shots on goal.
Kylian Mbappé appeared to score off a sprint alone to the center of the box, but he was too alone. Mbappé was ruled offsides after a VAR review that was booed by fans.
The teams remained scoreless entering the hydration break.
- Share via
Erling Haaland nets game-winner as Norway wins a World Cup knockout game for first time
ARLINGTON, Texas — Erling Haaland scored the deciding goal in the 86th minute and Norway won a knockout game at the World Cup for the first time, advancing to the round of 16 with a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
Three defenders converged on Patrick Berg as he moved into the penalty box with the ball, and he kicked it over to a wide-open Haaland for his fifth goal in three games at this year’s tournament.
Antonio Nusa scored with a curling kick for Norway, which is in its fourth World Cup and will next play five-time champion Brazil in the round of 16 on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The match comes 28 years after what many considered the greatest win ever for the Norwegians against Brazil.
Norway is playing in its first World Cup since that 1998 appearance, when the team got to the knockout round only after scoring goals in the 83rd and 89th minutes for an incredible 2-1 comeback win over then-reigning World Cup champion Brazil in the group finale.
Arnard Diallo, who had kept Norway from taking a two-goal lead earlier in the second half, evened the match with a left-footed kick in the penalty box in the 74th minute.
- Share via
Erling Haaland strikes late to put Norway on the cusp of victory
Norway 2, Ivory Coast 1, 86th minute
Erling Haaland has put Norway on the verge of reaching the round of 16 in Arlington, Tex.
- Share via
Ivory Coast ties it up on goal by Amad Diallo
Ivory Coast 1, Norway 1, 74th minute
Amad Diallo, who came on in the 60th minute, has pulled Ivory Coast even with Norway in Arlington, Tex.
- Share via
Norway maintains one-goal lead into the second half
Norway 1, Ivory Coast 0, 73rd minute
Norway remains in line to advance to the round of 16 but has missed some opportunities to extend the lead in Arlington, Tex.
- Share via
It’s halftime in Arlington for Norway and Ivory Coast
Norway 1, Ivory Coast 0, halftime
Antonio Nusa’s 39th-minute goal has staked Noway to a lead over Ivory Coast as the team battle for the right to play Brazil in the round of 16 in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sunday.
- Share via
Antonio Nusa puts Norway in the lead right before halftime
Norway 1, Ivory Coast 0, 39th minute
Antonio Nusa has put Norway in the lead before halftime, curling a shot from just inside the box.
- Share via
Ivory Coast and Norway remain scoreless in the first half
Ivory Coast 0, Norway 0, 25th minute
The teams have gotten about halfway through the first half in Arlington, Tex., with no score for either side.
- Share via
Ivory Coast and Norway are underway in Arlington
Norway rested many of its regulars in its group-play finale, a 4-1 loss to France, to settle for second in Group I. Erling Haaland, playing in his first World Cup, had braces in Norway’s first two games. Ivory Coast finished second to Germany on a tiebreaker but advanced to the knockout stages for the first time. Villarreal’s Nicolas Pépé has two of the team’s four goals.
- Share via
Commentary: Christian Pulisic is the spark the U.S. will need in the World Cup’s knockout stages
Christian Pulisic is back. Back like Captain America, revived and ready to go after being put on ice for a spell, needed to save the day.
Forget everything else about Thursday’s match against Turkey at SoFi Stadium and marinate on that.
Never mind the United States’ 3-2 loss in their final World Cup Group D match; the result was inconsequential. The Americans knew they were going through to the round of 32, and more, they’d already won the group. No pressure is a privilege, well-earned.
- Share via
‘The clear choice by far.’ Why rising U.S. star Alex Freeman chose soccer over the NFL
SEATTLE — Growing up the son of an NFL wide receiver, Alex Freeman said he felt a lot of pressure to play the American version of football, not the one the rest of the world plays.
“I always got asked if football was the path,” he said last summer. “But I always had a secret love for soccer.”
And he had to keep it a secret because he wasn’t sure his father Antonio, a Super Bowl winner with the Green Bay Packers, would understand.
But his stepfather did. Jake Hinkle introduced Alex to the sport and served as his first coach while his mother Rochelle urged him on.
- Share via
‘A great vibe.’ Pacific Northwest joins Los Angeles in an embrace of World Cup fever
SEATTLE — Jaysen Dickinson flew to Seattle from Vermont to cross an item off his lengthy bucket list.
“To see the World Cup and the U.S. play in the World Cup,” he said.
Kim Fletcher and her 17-year-old son Kelan caught a 5 a.m. flight from Sacramento last week for the same reason.
“It’s a must-do right now,” she said.
They weren’t alone. Tens of thousands of people poured into Seattle on Friday morning for the U.S. team’s group-stage game with Australia, turning the Emerald City into a sea of red, white and blue. Some had tickets, most did not.
- Share via
Harvard alum Matt Freese took an unusual path to starting in goal for U.S. at World Cup
Playing in goal for the U.S. men’s national soccer team is a little like playing right field for the Yankees. You’re following a long line of great players, making the comparisons — and the high expectations — unavoidable.
Matt Freese is the latest to be thrown into that crucible. But he considers that pressure to be a privilege, not a problem.
- Share via
L.A. defies the skeptics for a World Cup marked by unity, mutual respect, fearlessness
The run-up to the World Cup in Los Angeles was marked by anxiety over how immigration enforcement, travel restrictions and anti-Trump backlash would affect the spirit and attendance of the games.
But on the streets of L.A. over the last week, something very different has happened.
Fans from a kaleidoscope of cultural backgrounds have come together to act out the kind of world — and city — they want to live in.
- Share via
Why this World Cup could do for Canada what 1994 did for soccer in the U.S.
VANCOUVER, Canada — When the first men’s World Cup game played in Canada kicked off last week, Anthony Totera sat in the stands and wept.
“It was a dream come true,” said Totera, who has spent most of his 57 years on earth promoting Canadian soccer. “I can’t describe the emotions. It was something surreal.”
If the 1994 World Cup, the first held in the U.S., forever altered the direction of American soccer, this summer’s tournament, which Canada is sharing with the U.S. and Mexico, has the potential to do the same for that country.
- Share via
Commentary: From poker pro to World Cup coach: Sergej Barbarez all in with Bosnia-Herzegovina
Imagine it. A neophyte coach, leading a team for the first time at any competitive level, and it being a high-profile assignment on the biggest of big stages.
A self-assured broadcaster, critical and competitive, having his bluff called, being invited to not just talk about it, but to be about it: Walk the walk, why don’t you?
A former player — scorer, shooter — being challenged to step up and right a listing ship while navigating politics and the push and pull of history and high hopes.
- Share via
‘I love America!’: With the World Cup, Inglewood becomes an international hub
Daiki Kaneko had only 24 hours before his World Cup journey took him to Dallas, where his home country’s squad will take on Sweden.
The Japanese soccer fan was making the most of it on Tuesday in Inglewood, snapping pictures of SoFi Stadium before taking in a different kind of monument: a space-age, two-story branch of the chicken chain Raising Cane’s, complete with a 308-square-foot screen, a mirrored dog sculpture and a massive halo hovering around the exterior.
For Kaneko, 25, who lives in the Tokyo suburbs, it was the perfect encapsulation of American grandeur.
- Share via
Pico Rivera’s Cristian Roldan may be last made-in-high-school U.S. World Cup star
SEATTLE — Cristian Roldan and Haji Wright grew up less than three years and 30 miles apart, Roldan in Pico Rivera and Wright in Culver City. The odds that they would go on to become teammates on not one, but two, U.S. World Cup teams seem astronomical.
Yet despite starting at the same time and place and arriving together at the same destination, the two players followed completely different paths to get there.
Wright joined the Galaxy’s academy at 14 and signed with Schalke of the top tier German Bundesliga days after his 18th birthday. Roldan was still playing for El Rancho, when he was 17, making him the only member of the U.S. World Cup team to play four years at a public high school.
- Share via
‘The vibes are high.’ U.S. soccer having fun amid intense World Cup workouts
Two games, two wins and the U.S. is already through to the knockout stage of a World Cup it is hosting.
For forward Folarin Balogun, things couldn’t be going any better.
“You know, if someone said before the tournament, two games and you’d be through to the knockouts, I think we all would have taken it,” he said. “We’re delighted.”
- Share via
‘Why not us?’ How Mauricio Pochettino taught the U.S. to believe it could win a World Cup
A bowl of lemons sits on a table in the conference room Mauricio Pochettino has turned into an office at the U.S. men’s soccer team’s beachfront resort in south Orange County. The citrus fruit, the coach believes, has the spiritual ability to absorb negative energy. On the corner of another table, the flame from a candle flickers.
“I like candles,” says Pochettino, who believes they release therapeutic fragrances and create a calming environment.
But it is the massive, blood-red mural covering the entire south side of the room that truly reveals what Pochettino believes. In the center of the wall, just behind the coach’s desk, white block letters spell out “Why Not” above a script “U.S.,” which, despite the periods, is meant to be read as “us.”
- Share via
Commentary: Thanks to the World Cup, I’m finally learning the words to the Mexican national anthem
I rose from my living room couch before Mexico’s World Cup match against Czechia when the Telemundo announcer stated it was time for the Mexican national anthem.
The public address system at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City played a short string intro. My back straightened. I pressed my right hand against my chest horizontally in the traditional gesture that accompanies the tune. And then I recited the opening lyrics to a song I’ve heard all my life but that I only began committing to memory this month:
Mexicanos al grito de guerra / El acero aprestad y bridón / Y retiemble en sus centros la tierra / Al sonoro rugir del cañon
- Share via
‘Worth every penny’: This is how much fans spent to attend the World Cup in L.A.
“Do you have an extra ticket?” a man shouted outside SoFi Stadium last Thursday.
The World Cup has been drawing fans from around the globe. But for many, getting a seat in the stadium has come at a steep price.
- Share via
Some were lucky enough to nab $400 to $500 tickets through official World Cup lotteries, others paid thousands of dollars to catch the action IRL. Tickets for the upcoming USA versus Turkey match were selling for more than $1,400 on resale sites.
The demand has been so high that authorities have been warning fans about how to avoid ticket scams.
As crowds flocked into the stadium, we asked attendees about how much they paid to get into the most-watched sporting event in the world. Here’s what they shared.
- Share via
Commentary: World Cup shows MLS still needs to achieve major goals to grow the game
Remember when we were sure the World Cup would suffer from all the issues that had everyone seeing red before the first ball was kicked?
And remember when we were certain soccer could never catch on in this country?
Despite controversies over visas and ticket prices and transportation, and in spite of consternation over expansion and new rules, the game has, as usual, proved too good to fail.
- Share via
2026 World Cup knockout round TV schedule, game previews and results
Group play is over and it’s knockout time at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The round of 32 is underway, with Canada, Brazil, Paraguay and Morocco winning their respective matches and moving on to the round of 16.
Here’s everything you need to know about World Cup knockout stage matches being played Tuesday and Wednesday across the U.S., Mexico and Canada (all times Pacific).
- Share via
Looking back at the first 19 days of the World Cup
The first 19 days of the 2026 FIFA World Cup offered plenty of memorable moments.
Check out The Times’ daily recaps ahead of Tuesday’s three-game slate:
Recapping Monday’s knockout-round wins by Brazil, Paraguay and Morocco at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Get the latest news, results and highlights.
Live updates from Canada vs. South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday. Get the latest news and results as the knockout rounds begin.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Recapping Day 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
South Africa pulled off a stunning 1-0 win over South Korea Wednesday night, advancing to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time.
Cristiano Ronaldo snapped out of his goal scoring slump to lead Portugal to a win, while Ghana held Harry Kane and England and Colombia rallied to beat Congo.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Recapping what happened at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Harry Kane tied a World Cup record during England’s win, Cristiano Ronaldo was held scoreless during a draw, Ghana stunned Panama and more during Day 7.
Stars Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi all scored while leading France, Norway and Argentina to wins on Day 6 of the 2026 World Cup.
Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team tournament.
Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Folarin Balogun scores twice and Christian Pulisic sets up two goals to lead the U.S. to a 4-1 win in its World Cup opener over Paraguay on Friday.
Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Mexico defeats South Africa 2-0 in a game that featured three red cards. Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez scored for Mexico in front of 80,824 fans.
