FIFA World Cup 2026 - Portugal edge out Croatia in a thriller , Spain , Switzerland sail through

 


Spain , Portugal put on fine displays to sail into the round of 16 ..while Spain had an emphatic win , Portugal survived a thriller vs Croatia . Switzerland beat Algeria to move to next round 


Spain 3–0 Austria

Spain produced one of their finest performances of the tournament to cruise into the Round of 16 with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Austria at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Luis de la Fuente's side dominated possession, controlled the tempo throughout and did not allow Austria a single shot on target, underlining their credentials as one of the favourites for the title. 


The breakthrough came in the 36th minute following a flowing Spanish move. Lamine Yamal's intelligent run opened space on the right before Pedro Porro delivered a teasing cross into the penalty area. Mikel Oyarzabal timed his run perfectly and guided a clinical finish beyond Alexander Schlager to give Spain a deserved 1-0 lead. Austria tried to respond with aggressive pressing but struggled to break through Spain's disciplined defence. 


Spain doubled their advantage in the 66th minute. Dani Olmo's corner was flicked on inside the six-yard box and Pedro Porro rose highest to head home his first international goal, putting the result beyond serious doubt. The European champions continued to dictate play and completed the scoring in the 89th minute. A slick passing move involving Unai Simón, Rodri and Yamal ended with Oyarzabal receiving the ball inside the box before calmly slotting his second goal of the evening into the far corner. Spain comfortably saw out the closing minutes to set up a mouth-watering Round-of-16 clash against Portugal. 

Goals

Spain 1–0: Mikel Oyarzabal (36')

Spain 2–0: Pedro Porro (66')

Spain 3–0: Mikel Oyarzabal (89') 


Portugal 2–1 Croatia

Portugal booked their place in the Round of 16 after edging Croatia 2-1 in a dramatic contest in Toronto that was decided in stoppage time. Croatia looked capable of springing an upset after taking the lead, but Portugal responded superbly before substitute Gonçalo Ramos delivered the decisive blow in the dying moments. 


The opening half was closely contested, with both teams creating chances but failing to find the breakthrough. Croatia struck first in the 53rd minute when Ivan Perišić latched onto a low cross and swept a first-time finish beyond Diogo Costa to put Zlatko Dalić's side ahead. The goal stunned Portugal and briefly shifted the momentum in Croatia's favour. 


Portugal were handed a lifeline in the 68th minute after a VAR review awarded a penalty for a foul inside the area. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up and confidently sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, scoring his first-ever World Cup knockout-stage goal to level the scores at 1-1. Both teams pushed for a winner during an absorbing finale before Portugal struck the decisive blow in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Gonçalo Ramos met a pinpoint cross with a superb glancing header that flew into the far corner, sparking wild celebrations. Croatia thought they had forced extra time moments later, but their equaliser was ruled out for offside after another VAR review. Portugal progressed to face Spain in one of the most anticipated Round-of-16 clashes. 


Goals

Croatia 1–0: Ivan Perišić (53')

Portugal 1–1: Cristiano Ronaldo (68', penalty)

Portugal 2–1: Gonçalo Ramos (90+4') 


Switzerland 2–0 Algeria

Switzerland ended their long wait for a World Cup knockout-stage victory with a composed 2-0 success over Algeria at BC Place in Vancouver. Murat Yakin's side produced an efficient display at both ends of the pitch, while Algeria were unable to reproduce the form that had taken them into the knockout rounds. 


The Swiss made the perfect start, taking the lead after just ten minutes. A swift move down the left culminated in a precise cross from Ruben Vargas that found Breel Embolo, who powered a header into the bottom corner to make it 1-0. Algeria attempted to respond through captain Riyad Mahrez and Ibrahim Maza, but Gregor Kobel was rarely troubled as Switzerland defended resolutely. 


Any hopes of an Algerian comeback disappeared immediately after the restart. Within a minute of the second half, Dan Ndoye latched onto a perfectly weighted through ball before calmly finishing beyond Luca Zidane to double Switzerland's lead. Algeria increased the pressure during the final half-hour, but the Swiss defence, marshalled by Manuel Akanji and Nico Elvedi, stood firm to preserve a clean sheet. The victory sent Switzerland into the Round of 16, where they will meet Colombia. 

Goals

Switzerland 1–0: Breel Embolo (10')

Switzerland 2–0: Dan Ndoye (46') 


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