World Cup: France, Mexico, and Norway face crucial Round of 32 matches

By Sanjay Menon — 30 June 2026 — 3 min read

Tuesday’s World Cup Fixtures

The FIFA World Cup Round of 32 continues with three significant matches scheduled for Tuesday. Ivory Coast will play against Norway at Dallas Stadium in Texas. Later, France will face Sweden at New York/New Jersey Stadium. The day concludes with co-hosts Mexico taking on Ecuador at Mexico City Stadium.

These fixtures are set to determine three more teams advancing to the Round of 16. The tournament has already seen unexpected outcomes, including Paraguay’s victory over Germany and Morocco’s win against the Netherlands via penalty shootouts.

Key Matchups and Predictions

The match between Ivory Coast and Norway marks their first competitive encounter. Historically, Ivory Coast has faced challenges against European teams in the World Cup, while Norway has a strong record against African nations, having lost only two of 19 matches across all competitions. Simulations suggest Norway is favoured to progress, winning in normal time in 56.1 percent of simulations, compared to 21.6 percent for Ivory Coast.

Norway’s star striker, Erling Haaland, has been a key player, scoring four goals in two matches during the group stage. Ivory Coast, making their first knockout stage appearance, will likely focus on containing Haaland. The team features players like Nicolas Pepe, who has scored two goals, and Amad Diallo and Franck Kessie, each with one goal.

France and Sweden have a long history, meeting 23 times in various competitions, with France holding 12 wins to Sweden’s six. However, this will be their first meeting in a FIFA World Cup. France is considered a strong favourite, winning in normal time in 75.1 percent of simulations. Sweden secured victory in only 9.5 percent of simulations, indicating a challenging path to advancement.

France’s squad includes prominent players such as Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise. Dembélé, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, scored a hat trick in a group stage match against Norway. Sweden, despite having talented forwards like Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak, has shown inconsistency in defence, conceding seven goals in the group stage.

Mexico and Ecuador have met once before in the FIFA World Cup, with Mexico winning 2-1 in 2002. Recent encounters have been closely contested, with their last three matches ending in draws. Simulations give co-hosts Mexico an advantage, with a 47.1 percent chance of winning in normal time, while Ecuador has a 23.7 percent chance. The possibility of extra time is significant, occurring in 29.2 percent of simulations.

Mexico advanced from the group stage without conceding a goal, scoring six goals through five different players. Ecuador, known for its strong defence, allowed only five goals and kept 13 clean sheets in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying tournament. However, Ecuador struggled offensively in the group stage, failing to score in its first two matches.

Teams Advancing and Eliminated

Several teams have already secured their spots in the Round of 16. Canada advanced after defeating South Africa 1-0. Brazil moved forward by beating Japan 2-1. Paraguay caused a major upset by eliminating Germany on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Morocco also progressed after a penalty shootout victory against the Netherlands following a 1-1 draw.

Morocco’s goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou, was instrumental in their win, saving a penalty before Ismael Saibari scored the decisive spot-kick. Morocco is now set to face Canada in the Round of 16. Germany’s early exit was a significant shock, with Paraguay winning the shootout 4-3 after a 1-1 draw. Paraguay’s president declared Tuesday a national holiday to celebrate the team’s historic achievement.

Source: aljazeera.com