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Mbappé Leads France Into Last 16; Today's World Cup Fixtures Feature England, Belgium and USA

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, Huston, USA
  • Jul 01, 2026
  • 146

French delivered one of the most dominant performances of the FIFA World Cup 2026 by defeating Sweden 3-0 to book their place in the Round of 16. Star forward Kylian Mbappé once again stole the spotlight with a brilliant brace, while Norway made history by edging past Ivory Coast 2-1 thanks to a dramatic late winner from Erling Haaland.

The victories confirmed France and Norway as the latest teams to advance in the knockout stage, setting up exciting last-16 encounters against Paraguay and Brazil respectively.

Mbappé Leads France's Dominant Victory

Playing at New Jersey Stadium in New York, France controlled the match from start to finish against Sweden.

 

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Mbappé struck in the 45th and 74th minutes, while Bradley Barcola added another goal after the interval to seal an impressive 3-0 triumph.

France created constant pressure throughout the contest, registering 25 attempts on goal compared to Sweden's seven. Michael Olise was instrumental in attack, providing creativity and assisting multiple scoring opportunities.

Mbappé Equals Lionel Messi's Tournament Goal Record

The French captain has now scored six goals in the FIFA World Cup 2026, drawing level with Lionel Messi in the race for the tournament's Golden Boot.

 

Also Read: FIFA World Cup 2026: Messi, Ronaldo Set for Final Group Stage Showdown https://thetripurapost.com/NewsTripuraPost/fifa-world-cup-2026-messi-ronaldo-set-for-final-group-stage-showdown-today-as-knockout-race-intensifies-3576.html

 

Mbappé also became the highest scorer in World Cup knockout-stage history with 10 goals, surpassing Brazilian legends Leônidas and Ronaldo, who previously shared the record with eight goals each.

The latest double also lifted Mbappé's overall World Cup tally to 18 career goals, leaving him just one goal behind Messi's all-time record of 19.

France Continue to Impress

France remain among the strongest title contenders, having scored 13 goals while conceding only twice in the tournament so far.

Manager Didier Deschamps returned to the team after attending his mother's funeral and received an emotional welcome. At the final whistle, the French coach acknowledged Mbappé as he left the field following his substitution.

Michael Olise has emerged as one of the tournament's standout creators, contributing five assists during France's campaign.

Norway Reach World Cup Knockout Stage for the First Time

Norway celebrated a historic milestone after defeating Ivory Coast 2-1 in Dallas to secure their first-ever victory in a FIFA World Cup knockout match.

Antonio Nusa gave Norway the lead in the 39th minute with a curling strike from inside the penalty area. The goal marked his first World Cup strike and the ninth international goal of his career.

Ivory Coast responded in the 74th minute when Amad Diallo finished clinically after combining with Nicolas Pépé.

However, Norway had the final word.

With just four minutes remaining, Patrik Berg drew defenders before delivering a perfectly weighted pass to Erling Haaland, who calmly converted the decisive goal to score his fifth goal of the tournament.

Goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland preserved Norway's victory with a superb stoppage-time save from Diallo's direct free-kick.

Round of 16 Fixtures Confirmed

France will now meet Paraguay on July 5 in the Round of 16, while Norway face five-time world champions Brazil on July 6 in what promises to be one of the tournament's biggest clashes.

Meanwhile, the Mexico vs Ecuador match at Mexico City Stadium experienced a delay because of adverse weather conditions.

Upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 Matches

Football fans can look forward to another exciting day of World Cup action.

  • England will take on DR Congo at Atlanta Stadium at 9:30 PM ET, marking the first-ever meeting between the two nations.
  • According to Indian Standard Time, Belgium will face Senegal at 1:30 AM on July 2 in Seattle.
  • Hosts United States will then meet Bosnia and Herzegovina at 5:30 AM IST at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage continues to deliver high-quality football, with several title contenders progressing and new history being written on the global stage.

 

For the latest FIFA World Cup 2026 news, live football updates, match reports, transfer stories, and breaking sports coverage, visit The Tripura Post: https://thetripurapost.com. Stay ahead with fast, accurate, and unbiased news from Tripura, India, and around the world