Haaland and – Three round-of-16 spots are set to be decided Tuesday, with Erling Haaland’s Norway facing Ivory Coast, Kylian Mbappé and France meeting Sweden, and Mexico hosting Ecuador at the Estadio Azteca.
For three teams trying to earn their way into the World Cup’s round of 16, Tuesday doesn’t just bring matches—it brings a hard finish line.
The slate starts with Erling Haaland’s Norway facing Ivory Coast. then turns to Kylian Mbappé and France against Sweden. and ends with co-host Mexico clashing with Ecuador at the Estadio Azteca. Four places were already secured when the round of 32 opened on Sunday. but the tournament keeps tightening—every goal now matters more.
The round of 32 began on Sunday, and by the time Tuesday arrives, Canada, Brazil, Paraguay and Morocco have already punched their tickets. Paraguay delivered one of the biggest knockout surprises in recent history, beating Germany in penalty kicks.
Tuesday’s matches will decide three more round-of-16 spots.
Erling Haaland’s Norway, powered by a late moment of difference, has advanced after a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast on Tuesday, June 30. The deciding swing came in the 86th minute, when Haaland scored a tap-in goal.
Ivory Coast had briefly leveled the match at 1-1 in the 74th minute. with Amad Diallo scoring after a run that cut through Norway’s defense. But the equalizer still couldn’t hold up. The sequence that led to Norway’s winner traced back to a brilliant entry pass from Oscar Bobb to Sander Berge. and then to Haaland for the final-minute result.
Earlier in that same Norway match, Antonio Nusa scored in the 39th minute to put Norway ahead 1-0. Nusa received the ball in the top left corner of the box, dribbled a few times, and then struck a shot long into the right side of the net.
France and Sweden are also on the Tuesday list as another set of knockout possibilities closes in. France takes on Sweden in the round of 16 picture after the round-of-32 games that have already filled four spots.
In the other match set for Tuesday, Mexico meets Ecuador at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
The full round-of-32 bracket leading into the knockout week shows how quickly the tournament has started to sort itself:
June 28: Canada def South Africa – SoFi Stadium. Inglewood
June 29: Paraguay def Germany – Gillette Stadium. Foxborough
June 29: Morocco def Netherlands – Estadio Monterrey. Monterrey. Mexico
June 29: Brazil def Japan – NRG Stadium. Houston
June 30: Ivory Coast vs. Norway – AT&T Stadium, Arlington
June 30: Mexico vs. Ecuador – Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
June 30: France vs. Sweden – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
July 1: United States vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina – Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara
July 1: Belgium vs. Senegal – Lumen Field, Seattle
July 1: England vs. DR Congo – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
July 2: Portugal vs. Croatia – BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
July 2: Spain vs. Austria – SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
July 2: Switzerland vs. Algeria – Vancouver Stadium, Vancouver, Canada
July 3: Argentina vs. Cape Verde – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
July 3: Australia vs. Egypt – AT&T Stadium, Arlington
July 3: Colombia vs. Ghana – Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City.
The round of 16 then follows a tight schedule, beginning July 4:
July 4: Paraguay vs. France/Sweden – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia – shop tickets
July 4: Canada vs. Morocco – Houston – shop tickets
July 5: Brazil vs. Norway – East Rutherford – shop tickets
July 5: Mexico/Ecuador vs. England/DR Congo – Mexico City – shop tickets
July 6: Portugal/Croatia vs. Spain/Austria – Arlington – shop tickets
July 6: USA/Bosnia vs. Belgium/Senegal – Seattle – shop tickets
July 7: Argentina/Cape Verde vs. Australia/Egypt – Atlanta – shop tickets
July 7: Switzerland/Algeria vs. Colombia/Ghana. – Vancouver – shop tickets.
Quarterfinals are set for July 9, July 10, and July 11, followed by semifinals on July 14 and July 15, with the final slated for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Across the early knockout results, the message has been consistent: the bracket is filling, but nothing is safe. Even a match that looks like it’s slipping away can flip late—exactly the kind of moment Haaland turned into a ticket forward. Now the tournament keeps pressing. with France. Mexico. and the rest of the field lining up for the same demand: win. then move.
World Cup round of 16 Haaland Norway Ivory Coast Mbappe France Sweden Mexico Ecuador Amad Diallo Antonio Nusa