Haaland Breaks Brazilian Hearts as England Ends Mexico’s Dream

Norway pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the FIFA World Cup 2026 by eliminating five-time champions Brazil with a 2-1 victory, while England survived a thrilling battle against hosts Mexico to win 3-2 despite playing more than half the match with ten men, as the Round of 16 concluded.

At MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Norway stole the spotlight by reaching the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history. Brazil had looked the more likely side to take control but squandered a golden opportunity after just 15 minutes when Norwegian goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland saved Bruno Guimarães' penalty.

Brazil continued to dominate possession and create chances through Vinícius Júnior, Rayan, and later substitute Endrick, but they were repeatedly denied by Norway's disciplined defence and the outstanding performance of Nyland.

In the 79th minute, Norwegian superstar Erling Haaland delivered when it mattered most. Rising above defender Gabriel, he powered home a header to break the deadlock before sealing the victory with a composed low strike from outside the penalty area just before full-time.

Although he was not heavily involved throughout the match, Haaland once again proved his remarkable finishing ability, taking his tally to 27 goals in his last 14 appearances for Norway.

Neymar's stoppage-time penalty proved nothing more than a consolation as Brazil crashed out of the tournament. It marked Brazil's first failure to reach the World Cup quarter-finals since 1990 and their seventh knockout-stage defeat to European opposition.

England Survive Mexico Thriller

In another dramatic encounter, England overcame hosts Mexico 3-2 at the iconic Estadio Azteca in a match that remained in the balance until the final whistle.

The Three Lions returned to the stadium where they suffered their famous 1986 World Cup defeat to Argentina, but this time they left with a memorable victory, ending Mexico's impressive run of four consecutive wins without conceding a goal.

Jude Bellingham gave England the perfect start by scoring twice in the space of just two minutes, converting excellent crosses from Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane.

Mexico refused to give up, with Julián Quiñones reducing the deficit before half-time. The hosts were then handed renewed hope early in the second half when Jarell Quansah was sent off.

Despite being reduced to ten men, England showed tremendous resilience and restored their two-goal advantage when Harry Kane calmly converted a penalty, taking his tournament tally to six goals and moving closer to the top of the Golden Boot standings.

Raúl Jiménez pulled another goal back for Mexico from the penalty spot to set up a tense finish, but German coach Thomas Tuchel managed the closing stages expertly with his substitutions, guiding England into the quarter-finals.

England will now face Norway in a highly anticipated quarter-final, while Mexico's World Cup journey came to an end with their first-ever defeat at the Estadio Azteca in World Cup history, having previously recorded eight wins and two draws at the famous venue.