Sport Editor Joel Lim comments on the World Cup Round of 16 and Quarter-Finals.
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup heads into its final crescendo across North America with the quarter-finals having been all but wrapped up, the expanded 48-team format has delivered the pure and uncontrolled chaos that it had set out to achieve. Moving from the group stages into the unforgiving territory of the single-elimination knockout phase, the stakes have transformed ordinary football matches into epic, generation-defining dramas.
The new addition of a round of 32 phase has heralded both tectonic giant-killings and tactical masterclasses, trimming the field down to the absolute elite. This has continued through to both the Round of 16 and Quarter-finals of the tournament. In particular, Roar has identified 5 games from these two phases that have been particularly notable this World Cup.
The Shockwave in New Jersey: Brazil 1-2 Norway (Round of 16)
Every World Cup has seen a historic upset, and the Round of 16 delivered a seismic one at the New York New Jersey Stadium. Five-time champions Brazil lined up against a rigid, hyper-disciplined Norwegian side that many viewed as dark horses at best.
Norway sat deep, absorbed the relentless early pressure from Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, and struck with lethal precision. The match seemed to be drifting out of reach of the Norwegians as the Brazilians were awarded a penalty early in the 14th minute. Yet, Norway’s in-form first-choice keeper, Nyland, pulled off a great save to keep the score level at 0-0.
Eventually, Erling Haaland, heavily marked all afternoon, proved exactly why he is the most feared apex striker in world football. Capitalising on a rare defensive lapse from a corner, Haaland opened the scoring with a thunderous header. When Brazil pushed forward in search of an equaliser, Haaland struck again on the counter, blasting a low drive past the helpless Allison. A desperate late penalty by Brazilian legend Neymar proved to be merely a consolation goal in stoppage time.
As the final whistle blew, the images of devastated yellow shirts collapsed on the grass signaled the end of an era for Brazil and a historic quarter-final arrival for the Scandinavians. Aptly, the Reds celebrated their historic win with what many have dubbed the World Cup’s chant of the tournament, the now popularised Norwegian “Viking Row” celebration.
An All-time Gritty Display: Mexico 2-3 England (Round of 16)
Playing the host nation in front of a fiercely partisan crowd of over 80,000 fans is undoubtedly a daunting task in modern football. For the Three Lions, it nearly turned into a nightmare.
England started brilliantly, silencing the stadium with two rapid-fire goals by star player Jude Bellingham to take a commanding early lead. However, the game pivoted violently in the 54th minute when a rash challenge by Jarell Quansah resulted in a straight red card for England. Down to ten men and operating at a grueling and unfamiliar altitude, the English defence began to crack under an avalanche of Mexican pressure.
Eventually, El Tri pulled one back through their red-hot winger Quinones, which sent the stadium into a frenzy. Yet, demonstrating an undeniable grit, Tuchel’s men found a winner against the run of play, breaking local hearts and securing a 3-2 victory. It was a chaotic, emotionally exhausting match that proved this England side possesses the psychological armor required to survive hostile territory.
A True Heavyweight Battle: Portugal 0-1 Spain (Round of 16)
The Round of 16 also played host to a classic Iberian derby in Dallas, a match heavily billed as a generational crossroads. It pinned Cristiano Ronaldo, appearing in what is surely his final World Cup, against Lamine Yamal, the teenage prodigy spearheading Spain’s and football’s vibrant new generation.
The match evolved into a high-stakes chess game. Portugal, organised and stubborn, sought to close down the half-spaces and exploit Ronaldo’s movement on the break. Spain, conversely, dictated the tempo through a suffocating midfield press.
The breakthrough arrived via a flash of inspiration from Yamal, whose dizzying run in the dying minutes of the game opened up the Portuguese backline, allowing La Roja to smash home the game’s solitary goal. Despite frantic late changes from the Portuguese bench, Spain held firm to win 1-0. The match felt less like an ordinary knockout tie and more like a symbolic passing of the torch on the grandest stage of them all.
Halting the Fairy Tale: France 2-0 Morocco (Quarter-finals)
Morocco entered the quarter-finals in Boston carrying the hopes of an entire continent, aiming to repeat their magical, barrier-breaking run from Qatar. Having already dispatched the Netherlands in a thrilling penalty shootout in the previous round, many believed another miracle was entirely possible. Standing in their way, however, was a ruthless French machine that, coincidentally, they also dropped out of the 2022 World Cup to.
Les Bleus showed no room for sentimentality. Many expected star player Kylian Mbappe to be the one to rise to the occasion for France. This proved likely to be the case, as he stepped up to take a penalty for the nation in the 28th minute. To his horror, however, he could only muster up a tame penalty that was easily stopped by penalty-stopping expert Yassine Bounou.
Yet, Mbappe clearly did not let this affect him, as in the 60th minute, while being closely shadowed by a double layer of Moroccan defenders, he took a shot at the goal from a long way out and produced a wonder World Cup goal that he has come to be synonymous with. Through Dembele, they then added a late second to seal a comfortable 2-0 win. While Morocco exited the pitch to a standing ovation from neutrals worldwide, France quietly demonstrated the cold efficiency that makes them favorites to retain their crown.
Hey Jude: England 2-1 Norway (Quarter-finals)
Norway entered the Quarter-finals with their reputation as a lethal offensive juggernaut, having scored in all of their World Cup outings this year, and even putting 4 past Iraq in their opening match of the tournament. Star man Erling Haaland entered the game in contention for the Golden Boot title, with a whopping 7 to his name, as they looked to wreak havoc on the English defence.
The Three Lions, however, brought their characteristic tenacity to the game, having toughed it out in multiple of their matches in this World Cup and showing heart that few other teams have shown in this tournament. The game opened with a Norwegian goal against the run of play, as winger Schjelderup scored a screamer from an extremely difficult angle.
England, however, clawed one back through Jude Bellingham, who, alongside Harry Kane, has shown his class this World Cup by establishing himself as arguably England’s most important player. The deadlock, however, refused to be broken in the second half, as a reserved display by both sides meant the game had to go to extra time.
Jude Bellingham, however, had other ideas for Norway, opening extra time with a goal that he will most certainly never forget as he tapped the ball into the empty net from a fumble by the Norwegian keeper. And so, the Three Lions move on, with their tenacity and heart on full display as they look to take on Messi and co in the Semi-finals.
With these dramatic chapters concluded, the stage is set for a colossal semi-final showdown between France and Spain in Dallas. For football fans all around the world, the 2026 tournament has already delivered on its promise of unmatched theater. If the upcoming fixtures match the tactical intrigue and emotional highs of the knockout rounds we have witnessed so far, we are tracking toward one of the greatest World Cup finales in living memory.
About the author
