Haaland's Brace Stuns Brazil, England Edges Mexico to Reach World Cup Quarterfinals
Norway's historic upset of five-time champions Brazil and England's dramatic victory over co-hosts Mexico complete two more quarterfinal matchups.
The story
The FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 delivered high drama on Sunday as Norway pulled off a stunning 2-1 upset against five-time champions Brazil at New York/New Jersey Stadium. After a scoreless first half that saw Brazil's Bruno Guimaraes miss a penalty, Erling Haaland broke the deadlock for Norway in the 79th minute, heading in a cross.
He then doubled his tally in the 90th minute with a low shot, securing a historic win for his nation. Neymar converted a penalty for Brazil deep in added time, but it wasn't enough to prevent their elimination.
Meanwhile, England survived a fierce challenge from co-hosts Mexico, winning 3-2 at Mexico City Stadium. Jude Bellingham netted twice for England in the 36th and 38th minutes, with Harry Kane adding a third in the 60th minute.
Mexico fought back with goals from J. Quiñones in the 42nd minute and R.
Jiménez in the 69th, but England held on despite playing with 10 men for a period. England will now face Norway in the quarterfinals.
Yesterday's results
Brazil vs Norway
Score: 1-2
Key: Erling Haaland scored twice (79', 90') for Norway; Neymar (90+5' pen) for Brazil.
Mexico vs England
Score: 2-3
Key: Jude Bellingham (36', 38') and Harry Kane (60') for England; J. Quiñones (42'), R. Jiménez (69') for Mexico.
Where it stands
The Round of 16 continued to shape the knockout bracket, with two major teams advancing and one giant falling. Norway's unexpected 2-1 victory over Brazil means they progress to the quarterfinals for the first time in their history.
England's hard-fought 3-2 win against co-hosts Mexico also secures their spot in the next round. The confirmed quarterfinal matchups now include France vs Morocco on July 9, and Norway vs England on July 11. The remaining Round of 16 fixtures will determine the other quarterfinalists, with Portugal facing Spain and the United States taking on Belgium today.
Off the pitch
| Player | From | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marco Palestra | Atalanta | Chelsea | €60m |
| Denzel Dumfries | Inter Milan | Real Madrid | €20m |
| Radu Drăgușin | Tottenham | Fiorentina | Loan with obligation to buy, initial £16.5m |
What we'll be watching
- Portugal vs Spain (Round of 16), Monday, July 6
- USA vs Belgium (Round of 16), Monday, July 6
- Argentina vs Egypt (Round of 16), Tuesday, July 7
- Switzerland vs Colombia (Round of 16), Tuesday, July 7
- France vs Morocco (Quarterfinals), Thursday, July 9
- Norway vs England (Quarterfinals), Saturday, July 11
Reporting + analyst voices: grounded via Google Search at publish time.