The round of 32 took Germany and the Netherlands. The round of 16 looked at that and raised it: Brazil, gone. The last host standing, gone. Portugal, gone at the death. In 72 hours the World Cup tore up its own script — and the quarter-finals it leaves behind might be the most compelling set in the tournament’s history.
Haaland 2, Brazil’s aura 0
The heavyweight fell in New Jersey. Brazil — five stars, Ancelotti, an emotional Neymar farewell tour — met a Norway side that had been quietly humiliated 4–1 by France in the group and had apparently decided to take it out on somebody. Erling Haaland struck twice in the second half at MetLife Stadium, Norway won 2–1, and the five-time champions were out before the quarter-finals.
Norway had reached the knockout rounds of a World Cup twice before, in 1938 and 1998. They have never been to a quarter-final. Now they arrive in one with the most feared centre-forward alive, against England, in Miami, on Saturday. Haaland against the defence that survived the Azteca with ten men — the tournament could not have written it better.
The strangest suspension saga ever, then a rout
The USA’s tie with Belgium turned circus before a ball was kicked. Folarin Balogun’s red card against Bosnia carried an automatic ban — until, the day before the game, a FIFA disciplinary panel took the extraordinary step of deferring his suspension by a year so he could play. Reports followed that President Trump had personally phoned FIFA president Gianni Infantino about the red card. Belgium’s federation formally protested. Neutrals simply stared.
Then Belgium made the whole argument academic. Charles De Ketelaere scored inside nine minutes, and after Malik Tillman’s deflected free kick — his second set-piece goal of the tournament — briefly levelled it, De Ketelaere restored the lead within 120 seconds. Hans Vanaken rolled in a third after Matt Freese’s error outside his own box, and Romelu Lukaku added a fourth in stoppage time. 4–1, and the xG (2.15 to 0.67) says it flattered the hosts.
So the American story ends where it always ends: the round of 16, against a European side, for the sixth time in seven knockout appearances. A record home group stage, a first knockout win since 2002, genuine progress — and the same ceiling. Belgium march on to face Spain, in their third quarter-final in four World Cups.
The rest of the bracket
Morocco 3–0 Canada. The last of the giant-killers made shockingly light work of the final co-host in the bracket’s early tie. Azzedine Ounahi scored twice either side of the hour and Soufiane Rahimi added a third in stoppage time. Canada’s first home World Cup ends in the round of 16; Morocco’s habit of embarrassing bigger names rolls into a quarter-final against France — a rematch of their 2022 semi-final, and the fixture Casablanca has circled since the draw.
France 1–0 Paraguay. The tie nobody enjoyed except France. Paraguay, conquerors of Germany, frustrated magnificently until Kylian Mbappé won and converted a second-half penalty. Not vintage, entirely sufficient — and France have still not looked remotely troubled in six matches.
Spain 1–0 Portugal. The Iberian derby was a siege with no breach until stoppage time, when Ferran Torres slid a pass through and Mikel Merino finished it. Spain utterly dominated; Portugal, and quite possibly Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup story, ended in Dallas with barely a shot of protest.
And Argentina survived Cape Verde. A footnote elsewhere, a headline here: the champions needed extra time to break the Blue Sharks, Lisandro Martínez finally scoring the winner deep in the second period of extra time. Cape Verde leave their first World Cup unbeaten in normal time across four matches — read that sentence again — and Argentina moved on to face Egypt, penalty-shootout winners over Australia, in today’s remaining tie.
The quarter-final picture
Thursday: France vs Morocco in Boston, the 2022 semi-final reborn. Friday: Spain vs Belgium in Los Angeles. Saturday: England vs Norway in Miami — Bellingham and Kane against Haaland — with the Argentina–Egypt and Switzerland–Colombia winners completing the bracket.
Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil, Portugal, and two of the three hosts: all gone before the last eight. Whoever lifts the trophy at MetLife on 19 July will have earned every step. Who’s your finalist pair now? The bracket has never been more open to argument.