France, Norway and Mexico March Into World Cup Last 16 as Knockout Drama Intensifies

The FIFA World Cup knockout stage continued to deliver high-stakes drama as France, Norway and co-hosts Mexico secured their places in the Round of 16 with commanding performances in the Round of 32.

France underlined their status as one of the tournament favourites with a dominant 3-0 victory over Sweden. Star forward Kylian Mbappé produced a clinical display, netting twice, while Bradley Barcola added a third goal to complete a convincing win for Didier Deschamps’ side.

Norway booked their place in the next round after edging Ivory Coast 2-1 in a fiercely contested encounter. Erling Haaland emerged as the hero, scoring a late winner after Amad Diallo had drawn the Africans level, sealing a hard-fought victory for the Scandinavian nation.

Tournament co-hosts Mexico also progressed after overcoming Ecuador 2-0 in Mexico City. Despite a weather-related delay before kick-off, the hosts maintained their composure to secure a memorable win and advance to the last 16.

Attention now turns to another exciting day of knockout football, with England set to face Democratic Republic of the Congo at 6pm, before Belgium take on Senegal at 10pm as the race for places in the Round of 16 gathers momentum.

With the stakes rising and the margin for error disappearing, the battle for World Cup glory is entering its most decisive phase.

By Witness A Phiri