World Cup Round of 32 Wrap Part 2: Red Cards and Comebacks!

Photo: Alex Grimm/Getty Images

The FIFA World Cup knockout stage continued to deliver drama over the past two matchdays, with six more nations booking their places in the Round of 16.

Norway became the latest underdog to reach the Round of 16 after defeating Cote d'Ivoire 2-1 in Dallas.

The Ivorians looked capable of extending their tournament, but Norway once again showed the resilience that saw them emerge from a difficult group alongside France.

Erling Haaland once again proved the difference for Norway, scoring the winning goal to send them through to the last 16.

Their reward is one of the toughest assignments possible – a Round of 16 showdown with five-time champions Brazil.

France continued to look every bit the team to beat with a convincing 3-0 victory over Sweden.

Their attacking stars were once again at the heart of the performance, overwhelming Sweden with pace, movement and clinical finishing. Having already impressed throughout the group stage, Les Bleus have now scored another emphatic knockout victory and head into the Round of 16 brimming with confidence.

Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Demebele, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki. This France attack looks impossible to stop.

France will next face giant-killers Paraguay after the South Americans shocked Germany in a penalty shootout.

Mexico booked their place in the last 16 with a composed 2-0 win over Ecuador in front of a passionate home crowd.

The hosts controlled much of the contest and never allowed Ecuador to build sustained momentum, earning a deserved victory that keeps alive hopes of a deep tournament run on home soil.

They have gone 4 games without conceding a goal yet, and look to be the real deal with the home fans behind them.

Their reward is one of the standout ties of the Round of 16 against England.

England were pushed all the way before securing a 2-1 victory over DR Congo.

The African nation continued the fearless football that made them one of the tournament's surprise packages, but England's extra quality proved decisive as they booked their place in the next round.

Harry Kane was once again the saviour for the 3 lions, bagging a late brace to send England into the last 16.

While Thomas Tuchel's side remain unbeaten, they'll know further improvement will be needed against a dangerous Mexico outfit.

Belgium survived one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament, defeating Senegal 3-2 in Seattle.

Both sides traded blows throughout an end-to-end contest with 40 shots in total for the game, but Belgium found the decisive goal to eliminate a spirited Senegal side that pushed them until the final whistle.

Senegal were left devastated, after leading 2-0 until the 86th minute, but Belgium stunned them with 2 late goals, then a winner in extra time to send the African champions home.

The Red Devils now face hosts USA in what promises to be another blockbuster Round of 16 encounter.

The United States kept their home World Cup dream alive with a mostly professional 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Goals from Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman secured progression despite the Americans finishing the match with 10 men following Balogun's second half red card, being the first man since Zinedine Zidane to score and see red since the 2006 final.

Mauricio Pochettino's side now prepare for a fascinating clash against Belgium with a place in the quarter-finals on the line.

Confirmed Round of 16 fixtures

With ten Round of 32 matches now complete, the following Round of 16 ties have been confirmed:

Canada vs Morocco

Paraguay vs France

Brazil vs Norway

Mexico vs England

United States vs Belgium

Three Round of 16 fixtures will be finalised after the remaining Round of 32 matches between Spain and Austria, Portugal and Croatia, Switzerland and Algeria, Australia and Egypt, Argentina and Cape Verde, and Colombia and Ghana.

The knockout stage has already produced penalty shootout heartbreak, major upsets and several heavyweight clashes, and with France, Brazil, England, Belgium and the United States all safely through, the race to lift the World Cup trophy is only getting more intriguing, with more drama undoubtedly on the way!