France, Mexico and Norway advance to last 16

Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe goes top of the adidas Golden Boot race

It was another day on which the stars came out to play at the FIFA World Cup 2026™. Things began with Erling Haaland maintaining his record of scoring in each match he has played at the tournament as he struck late to down Côte d'Ivoire in Dallas.

France then swept aside Sweden, with Kylian Mbappe raising the stakes set by the big Norwegian. The France captain's brace – his third of the tournament – moved him to within one goal of Lionel Messi's all-time mark of 19 and also took him top of the adidas Golden Boot race, ahead of the Argentinian. A pair of Michael Olise assists made it a tournament-high five with the French playing some dazzling football in New York New Jersey.

In the late fixture, Mexico continued their impressive tournament, easing past Ecuador in the capital to cruise into the Round of 16, without having conceded a goal.

Côte d'Ivoire 1-2 Norway

Few players have made the kind of impact in their maiden World Cup tournament as Erling Haaland has in North America and, even if not at his clinical best in Dallas, he once again proved the difference-maker. Before then a stunning strike from starlet Antonio Nusa had put Norway ahead late in the opening half as the youngster befuddled a pair of Ivorian defenders and then guided a shot into the top corner of Yahia Fofana's goal.

It was an equally outrageous piece of skill from Amad Diallo that drew Côte d'Ivoire level with a touch over a quarter-of-an-hour to play before Haaland had his moment. An off-balance Oscar Bobb threaded a pinpoint pass to Patrick Berg, who squared it for Norway's No9 to side-foot his shot past Fofana without the greatest deal of conviction.

The sheepish celebration said it all, but none of the rowing Norwegian fans were bothered how it was scored as their nation won a knockout match for the first time. That tees up a meeting with Brazil in New York New Jersey on 5 July.

France 3-0 Sweden

France were irresistible in the Big Apple as they rained down wave-after-wave of attack on the Sweden goal. Having seen Kylian Mbappe and then Michael Olise, with a spectacular overhead effort, strike the base of the both posts, they finally went ahead on the stroke of half-time. Ousmane Dembele released Mbappe, who danced past a couple of Swedish defenders and drilled the ball into the far corner of Jacob Zetterstrom’s goal.

Another of the team’s galaxy of stars doubled the lead early in the second term, with Olise the provider for Bradley Barcola’s well-struck effort. A second Olise assist for a second Mbappe goal pushed the France captain to within one of Lionel Messi’s all-time mark and left him with an astonishing goal-a-game ratio from his 18 World Cup appearances.

Mexico 2-0 Ecuador

Mexico have proven close to impenetrable and kept a clean sheet for a fourth straight fixture, another where their array of attacking stars dazzled once again.

With Ecuador pushing high up the pitch, the opener came through the vision and quick thinking of Roberto Alvarado who found Julian Quinones just inside his own half, with the Saudi Arabia-based forward then racing through on goal and lashing past Hernan Galindez.

Quinones then turned provider as he released Raul Jimenez after a poor clearance from Joel Ordonez to smash home a second. Cesar Montes came close to adding a third midway through the second period in a clash where the hosts proved too far good for their South American foes, who saw Piero Hincapie sent off late on. Mexico now await the winner of the England-Congo DR clash.

Stats

Erling Haaland has hit the target 60 times in 53 matches for his country, and has now scored in his first three appearances on the world stage.

Kylian Mbappe has scored a World Cup record 10 knockout-round goals.

Mexico's Gilberto Mora (17 years and 259 days) is just the second 17-year-old and second youngest player to start a World Cup knockout-stage match after Pele, who was 17 years and 239 days old when he played for Brazil against Wales in 1958.