France, Mexico and Norway Advance to World Cup Round of 16

By Aurax Desk | July 1, 2026 | 2 min read

France, Mexico and Norway secured places in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after winning their knockout matches on Tuesday. Kylian Mbappe, Raúl Jiménez and Erling Haaland played key roles as their teams kept their title hopes alive.

BOSTON (AP) — France, Mexico and Norway booked their places in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, emerging from their Round of 32 matches with victories that kept their title ambitions alive. Led by star performances from Kylian Mbappe, Raúl Jiménez and Erling Haaland, the three nations advanced to the next stage of the expanded tournament.

France progressed with a convincing win over Sweden, continuing the strong form that has made Les Bleus one of the favorites to lift the trophy. Mbappe played a central role in the victory as France's attack consistently threatened the Swedish defense. The result extends France's run in the tournament and reinforces expectations that the 2018 champions will once again be among the leading contenders deep into the knockout rounds.

Mexico also advanced after overcoming Ecuador in a closely contested match. Raúl Jiménez and Julián Quiñones were instrumental in the victory as Mexico capitalized on key opportunities to secure progression. The win was a significant moment for one of the tournament's co-hosts, keeping alive hopes of a memorable run on home soil while ending Ecuador's campaign after a competitive showing throughout the tournament.

Norway completed the trio of winners with a victory over Ivory Coast, powered by another influential performance from striker Erling Haaland. Norway combined disciplined defending with clinical finishing to overcome the African side and secure a place in the Round of 16. The result marks one of the country's strongest World Cup performances in recent decades and sets up a new challenge as the tournament moves into its next knockout stage.

Sources: ESPN, BBC Sport, Al Jazeera, FIFA, Fox Sports and The Athletic.

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