The FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 continued with two more teams advancing to the knockout stage, as Switzerland defeated Algeria and Portugal completed a dramatic comeback against Croatia to book their places in the Round of 16.
Switzerland Defeats Algeria to Advance
Switzerland secured its place in the Round of 16 with a 2-0 victory over Algeria at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.
Breel Embolo opened the scoring in the 11th minute before Dan Ndoye doubled Switzerland’s lead just after halftime in the 46th minute. Despite Algeria’s efforts to respond, the Swiss defense remained organized and denied their opponents clear scoring opportunities.
Switzerland Awaits Ghana or Colombia
Following the victory, Switzerland will face the winner of the Round of 32 match between Ghana and Colombia in the next stage of the tournament.
Portugal Stuns Croatia with Late Comeback
Portugal booked its place in the Round of 16 after coming from behind to defeat Croatia 2-1 in a dramatic encounter in Toronto.
Ivan Perišić gave Croatia the lead before Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot in the 68th minute following a VAR review. Substitute Gonçalo Ramos then scored the winning goal deep into stoppage time to complete Portugal’s comeback.
Ronaldo Sets New World Cup Records
Cristiano Ronaldo became the oldest player to appear in a FIFA World Cup knockout match and the oldest player to score in the tournament’s knockout stage. Meanwhile, Croatia’s Luka Modrić brought his World Cup career to a close after winning silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022.
Portugal will now face Spain in one of the standout Round of 16 fixtures.
Round of 16 Matchups Continue to Take Shape
With Switzerland and Portugal advancing, the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 lineup continues to take shape, setting the stage for highly anticipated knockout clashes as the race for the world title intensifies.
Conclusion:
Switzerland and Portugal successfully navigated the Round of 32 by defeating Algeria and Croatia respectively, earning their places in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, where tougher challenges await as the knockout phase continues.
