World Cup 2026 Weekly Recap: France In Semis as Brazil, Ronaldo and the Hosts Crash Out
10 Jul, 2026
- ⚽ France beat Morocco 2-0 to become the first semifinalists in Boston
- 🤯 Erling Haaland's brace knocked out Brazil, ending their sixth-star dream in New Jersey
- 🏠 Canada, Mexico and the USA all eliminated, leaving the party without its hosts
What a week to be alive - the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout rounds went full carnage mode between last Friday and today, and the scoreboard reads like a hit list: Brazil out, Ronaldo out, all three host nations out, and France cruising into a third straight semifinal without breaking a sweat!
While some of the games have been predictable, there were certainly a few shockers that left avid footie gamblers in the red. Here is every result from the week, newest first.
France 2-0 Morocco
Les Bleus made the first quarterfinal look like a formality in Boston, in a rematch of the 2022 semifinal that ended exactly the same way for the Atlas Lions. Kylian Mbappé struck early in the second half to move to 8 goals, level with Messi at the top of the Golden Boot standings but ahead on assists, and Ousmane Dembélé slammed in the dagger just moments later.
There were two small clouds in the French sky: Mbappé missed a rare penalty and later limped off after taking a knock, though the injury did not look serious. The bigger picture is terrifying for everyone else. France is now the only team to win all six matches without needing extra time, and this is their third consecutive World Cup semifinal. The bookmakers keep calling this tournament theirs to lose, and nothing this week argued otherwise.
Switzerland 0-0 Colombia, 4-3 on Penalties
Nothing could separate the sides through 120 minutes at BC Place in Vancouver, in the only Round of 16 tie played outside the USA and Mexico. Colombia probed, Switzerland stonewalled, and the Swiss knockout-stage record stayed spotless: still not a single goal conceded since the group stage ended.
So it went to the lottery, and the Swiss held their nerve. Ruben Vargas buried the decisive fifth penalty to complete a 4-3 shootout win and send Switzerland into a first World Cup quarterfinal in over 70 years. Their reward is the reigning champions in Kansas City, and on this evidence, Argentina will need patience.
Argentina 3-2 Egypt
Comeback of the tournament, or robbery of the tournament, depending on which side of the Argentina/Messi fandom you fall. Egypt led 2-0 with 12 minutes remaining in Atlanta and had one foot in a historic quarterfinal, before Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez flipped the match on its head in a finish that had the champions celebrating like they had won the whole thing again. At 39, Messi keeps dragging this team through, though Zlatan Ibrahimovic warned afterwards that he needs far more help from his teammates.
The fallout was ugly. The Egyptian FA released a furious statement blasting refereeing decisions, centered on a 59th-minute VAR call that chalked off an Egyptian goal for contact spotted at the other end of the pitch. The controversy will rumble on, but the champions live to spin again.
Belgium 4-1 USA
The co-hosts' spirited run ended with a thud in Seattle. Belgium finally found their groove after a wobbly group stage, a costly Matt Freese error opened the floodgates, and the Folarin Balogun red card saga from the previous round hung over the American buildup all week. The 4-1 scoreline was the biggest margin of the entire round, and a humbling one: it is now eight exits in nine World Cups at the Round of 16 or earlier for the USMNT since 1990.
There was one golden consolation for the hosts. Fox reported 30 million viewers, peaking just shy of 37 million, making it the most-watched soccer telecast in US history. The team goes home, but the audience the tournament built is not going anywhere before 2030.
Spain 1-0 Portugal
The Iberian blockbuster turned into a slow burn in Dallas, two heavyweight defenses cancelling each other out for over 90 minutes. Then substitute Mikel Merino struck in added time, and just like that Spain had their first World Cup knockout win since lifting the trophy in the 2010 final.
For Portugal, the ending was brutal. Cristiano Ronaldo, now 41, left the pitch in tears with his World Cup era closed for good, no fairytale attached. For Spain, the machine rolls on: six consecutive clean sheets, the first team in World Cup history to manage it, with Unai Simón's net untouched and nine goals scored at the other end.
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England 3-2 Mexico
An instant classic at the Estadio Azteca, and arguably the match of the tournament. Jude Bellingham scored twice in two first-half minutes to seize control, Julian Quinones pulled one back before the break, and then the chaos truly began: Jarell Quansah saw red, Harry Kane restored the two-goal lead from the spot, and Raul Jimenez answered with a penalty of his own to make it a one-goal game with the crowd baying.
Ten-man England survived the siege for what pundits are calling their best win on foreign soil at a major tournament. Since 1966 the Three Lions had won just ten World Cup knockout matches, and few carried this weight. For Mexico, a home World Cup that reunited team and country ended in heartbreak in front of 87,000 of their own.
Norway 2-1 Brazil
The shock of the week, delivered by the most predictable man in football. Erling Haaland's brace in New Jersey dumped out the five-time champions, with Neymar's stoppage-time penalty arriving as pure consolation. Brazil came in under Carlo Ancelotti genuinely believing in a sixth star and left with the football world asking whether the seleção have lost the aura that once defined this tournament.
The aftershocks came fast: Neymar announced his international retirement, closing an era for Brazilian football. Norway, who had escaped the group stage only once in three previous World Cups, are in the quarterfinals for the first time ever, and a remix of a teenage Haaland rap track hit number one back home. Erling's world, everyone else just lives in it.
France 1-0 Paraguay
The toughest test of France's tournament so far, and they needed a penalty in Philadelphia to pass it. Paraguay, who had already knocked out Germany on spot kicks in the previous round, frustrated Les Bleus for long stretches and gave as good as they got physically.
Pundits agreed afterwards that the feisty South Americans had already won something regardless of the result, while France banked exactly what champions-in-waiting need: an ugly, narrow win when the fireworks would not come. Michael Olise picked up a booking in a tetchy affair, but the favorites moved on unbothered.
Morocco 3-0 Canada
Ounahi magic swept the Atlas Lions past the first of the three co-hosts in Houston, a comfortable 3-0 rout that made the scoreline look as one-sided as the football. Canada, who had thumped Qatar 6-0 in the groups, simply had no answer at this level.
The win made Morocco the first African nation to reach back-to-back World Cup quarterfinals, building on their historic 2022 semifinal run. Their prize was another date with France, the same opponent that ended the dream four years ago.
Switzerland 2-0 Algeria
The week opened quietly in Vancouver, where Switzerland dispatched Algeria 2-0 with the kind of controlled, unglamorous efficiency that has become their tournament signature. Algeria pushed early but never seriously threatened Yann Sommer's replacement generation.
Nobody was writing headlines about the Swiss that night. A week later, with a shootout win over Colombia banked and a quarterfinal against Argentina booked, that Friday win looks like the first step of the tournament's stealthiest run.
How Is The FIFA World Cup 2026 Event Looking On Roshtein?
Here’s how things are playing out in Roshtein’s FIFA World Cup 2026 event, where things are as tight as the race for the trophy!
First, the Top 3:
…and here’s the honorable mentions:
Make sure to place your bets on Roshtein.com - big prizes await in the Final Raffle!
What’s Next On The World Cup Schedule?
Three quarterfinals remain. Spain vs Belgium kicks off on Friday, July 10 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, pitting the tournament's iron defense against a side that loves a late goal. Saturday brings a double-header: Norway vs England on July 11 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where Haaland and Kane duel for the Golden Boot, followed by Argentina vs Switzerland on July 11 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, where Messi's nine lives meet a defense that refuses to blink.
The semifinals are set for Tuesday, July 14 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas and Wednesday, July 15 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The third-place match follows on Saturday, July 18 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, before the final on Sunday, July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium.
A week that buried Brazil, retired Ronaldo and emptied the hosts' table has left seven teams standing. If the last seven days are any indicator, do not bet against more chaos before Sunday week…
