Norway Upsets Brazil, England Edges Mexico to Reach World Cup Quarterfinals

The Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup delivered two dramatic matches, setting up a quarterfinal clash between England and Norway. In New Jersey, Norway stunned one of the tournament favorites, Brazil, with a 2-1 victory, marking their best World Cup performance since 1998. Erling Haaland was the standout player, scoring both goals late in the game (79th and 90th minutes) to lead Norway to a historic quarterfinal berth. Despite Brazil's early dominance, a missed penalty by Bruno Guimarães in the 14th minute shifted momentum. Neymar, who came on as a substitute, scored a late penalty but it was not enough to save Brazil, which suffered its worst World Cup exit since 1990. Neymar, 34, hinted this might be his final match for the national team, saying, "I tried, I did everything. It ends here."

Later, England survived a tense 3-2 win over host nation Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, a venue where Mexico had never lost before. The match featured a fast pace, multiple goals, a red card, and intense crowd pressure. Jude Bellingham opened the scoring with two quick goals (36th and 38th minutes), but Mexico responded with a goal by Julián Quiñones before halftime. After a one-hour weather delay, the second half saw England reduced to ten men following Jerel Qwansa's red card in the 54th minute. Nevertheless, Harry Kane converted a penalty in the 60th minute, and Mexico answered with their own penalty by Raúl Jiménez in the 68th. Kane became the first player since 1966 to both concede and score a penalty in the same World Cup match. Despite Mexico's late pressure, England held on to advance to their 11th quarterfinal, a stage only Brazil and Germany have reached more often.

The upcoming quarterfinal between England and Norway promises a compelling contest between England's experienced squad and Haaland's remarkable goal-scoring prowess. Historically, Norway has never lost to Brazil in their five meetings, including a 2-1 victory in this tournament's Round of 16.

Summary: Norway shocked Brazil 2-1 with two late goals from Erling Haaland to reach the World Cup quarterfinals, while England narrowly defeated Mexico 3-2 in a tense match at the Azteca Stadium. Both favorites Brazil and host Mexico were eliminated, setting up a quarterfinal between England and Norway.

Points: - Norway defeated Brazil 2-1 with Erling Haaland scoring twice late to reach the quarterfinals. - Brazil exited the World Cup in the Round of 16 for the first time since 1990. - England beat Mexico 3-2 despite playing with ten men after a red card. - Harry Kane scored and conceded penalties in the same World Cup match, a first since 1966. - England advanced to their 11th World Cup quarterfinal, breaking Mexico's unbeaten record at Azteca Stadium. - Neymar hinted at retirement from international football after Brazil's elimination.

Topic: sports

Entities: {"people":["Erling Haaland","Neymar","Jude Bellingham","Bruno Guimarães","Harry Kane","Raúl Jiménez","Julián Quiñones","Jerel Qwansa"],"organizations":["Brazil national team","Norway national team","England national team","Mexico national team"],"places":["New Jersey","Azteca Stadium","Mexico City"]}