World Cup 2026 Heats Up: Portugal Stuns Croatia, Switzerland Makes History, and Round of 16 Takes Shape

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup — co-hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico — is delivering edge-of-your-seat drama as the knockout stage kicks off across North America. From a heart-stopping Portugal comeback to Switzerland’s first knockout win in 88 years, here’s everything you need to know.

🏆 Portugal 2-1 Croatia: Late Drama, VAR Controversy, and Ronaldo’s First Knockout Goal

In arguably the match of the tournament so far, Portugal edged Croatia 2-1 in a pulsating encounter that had everything — goals, VAR drama, and a 94th-minute winner.

Cristiano Ronaldo, at 41 years old the oldest player ever to start a World Cup knockout match, scored his first-ever World Cup knockout goal from the penalty spot after a VAR review spotted a foul on Renato Veiga at a corner. That goal canceled out Ivan Perisic’s stunning second-half strike for Croatia.

But the real drama came deep in stoppage time. With the score 1-1, Goncalo Ramos — introduced as a substitute — rose above two Croatia defenders to head in a superb Rafael Leao cross in the 94th minute.

Croatia thought they had equalized when Josko Gvardiol bundled the ball home in the 13th minute of stoppage time, but VAR ruled it out for offside — Igor Matanovic’s slight touch on the ball put Mario Pasalic in an offside position before Gvardiol’s finish.

In an emotional post-match moment, Ronaldo pulled on a jersey of his late former teammate Diogo Jota — marking nearly one year since the tragic passing of the former Portugal forward — and led the celebrations with tears in his eyes.

Up next: Portugal vs Spain — a blockbuster European Derby in Dallas Stadium on Monday, July 6 (8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT).

🏆 Switzerland 2-0 Algeria: History in Vancouver

Switzerland secured their first World Cup knockout stage win since 1938 — yes, 88 years ago — with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Algeria in Vancouver.

Breel Embolo opened the scoring in the 10th minute after a brilliant run and cutback from Johan Manzambi. Nottingham Forest’s Dan Ndoye doubled the lead just 46 seconds into the second half with a clinical finish.

Algeria, searching for their first-ever knockout win, never truly threatened after the break. Switzerland have now reached the Round of 16 for the fourth consecutive World Cup — an impressive run of consistency.

Up next: Switzerland will face the winner of Colombia vs Ghana on Tuesday, July 7 (5:00 PM ET / 2:00 PM PT) at BC Place Vancouver.

📅 Today’s Matches (July 3, 2026)

Match	Venue	Stage
Australia vs Egypt	TBD	Group Stage
Argentina vs Cape Verde	TBD	Group Stage
Colombia vs Ghana	TBD	Group Stage

📅 Key Upcoming Round of 16 Fixtures

Date	Match	Venue	Time (ET)
Mon, July 6	Portugal vs Spain	AT&T Stadium, Dallas	3:00 PM
Tue, July 7	Switzerland vs Colombia/Ghana	BC Place, Vancouver	5:00 PM
Tue, July 7	TBD	TBD	TBD

❓ FAQ

Q: Where can I watch the 2026 World Cup in the US?
A: The 2026 World Cup is broadcast across Fox, FS1, and FS2 in English, and Telemundo/Universo in Spanish. Streaming options include Fox Sports app, Fubo, and Peacock.

Q: How does the format work for the 2026 World Cup?
A: The tournament features 48 teams divided into 12 groups of 4. The top 2 from each group plus the 8 best third-placed teams advance to a Round of 32 knockout stage — the first time this format is used.

Q: Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing in the 2026 World Cup?
A: Yes! At age 41, Ronaldo is playing in what is likely his final World Cup. He just scored his first-ever knockout stage goal in Portugal’s dramatic 2-1 win over Croatia.

Q: Which US cities are hosting World Cup 2026 matches?
A: 16 cities across the US are hosting matches including Dallas (AT&T Stadium), Atlanta, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Miami, Boston, New York/New Jersey, and more. Vancouver and Toronto (Canada) plus Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara (Mexico) are also host cities.