Long before they became the backbone of Mexico's World Cup defence, they were simply two boys chasing the same dream together.

They let their opponent run themselves into the ground, absorbed the early psychological warfare, and then ruthlessly killed the game off with a 3-0 triumph that felt entirely inevitable by the final whistle.

For 28 years, Stale Solbakken has carried a piece of history that no Brazilian has been able to rewrite.

Ancelotti felt Brazil's comeback win over Japan in the last 32 had given his players greater belief heading into Monday's clash with Norway.

With the 2026 World Cup still ongoing and the possibility of future tournaments ahead, Mbappe appears well placed to challenge, and potentially surpass, Messi's record in the years to come.

As France marched on toward a quarterfinal meeting with Morocco, Deschamps looked ahead, thinking about recovery, injuries, and another difficult test awaiting his players.

Their win was less a showcase of French elegance than a survival exercise, with Kylian Mbappe's penalty finally settling an ill-tempered contest that Paraguay had dragged into their preferred territory of physical confrontation and tactical disruption.

France captain Kylian Mbappe said his side were happy to do whatever it takes to advance in the World Cup after they battled through a bad-tempered last-16 tie with Paraguay to win 1-0 on Saturday.

Kylian Mbappe's second-half penalty earned France a hard-fought 1-0 win over Paraguay in the World Cup last 16 in scorching heat on Saturday, sending them into a quarter-final against Morocco.

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi praised his side's composure and second-half improvement after a clinical 3-0 victory over Canada secured a place in the World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.

Morocco snuffed out co-host Canada's World Cup dream to book their place in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Two

Even about a year ago, Lisandro Martinez was a peripheral figure, mostly away from the eyes of football fans -- not because of a dip in form, but because of a serious injury that had taken a mental toll on the Manchester United defender and his family as well.

The inaugural Round of 32 in the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup delivered on every front. There were shocks and surprises, thrilling comebacks, heartbreaking exits and the fall of several giants.

If this overwhelming dependency stays constant, even the golden goose laying eggs may not be enough when the tournament reaches its deep end.

Top favourites France will be eyeing a place in the quarterfinals as they take on Paraguay in their FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash at Philadelphia Stadium tonight.

In a barbershop in Resende, in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state, World Cup fever is going to people's heads, quite literally. Barber Washington Santos, 27, has created a haircut featuring the Brazilian flag to celebrate the country's bid for a sixth World Cup title, or "hexa" in Portuguese.

Brazil's Raphinha returned to training on Friday to give coach Carlo Ancelotti a welcome boost before their World Cup last-16 clash with Norway, but the Barcelona forward may find his place on the right wing is no longer guaranteed.

FIFA will keep the scheduled kickoff time for Monday’s World Cup last-16 match between Mexico and England, despite earlier concerns that severe weather could force changes, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters.

The nerve-wracking Round of 32 of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 came to an end on Saturday morning with defending champions Argentina, Colombia and Egypt clinching the final three berths in the Round of 16.

France are bracing for furnace-like temperatures when they face Paraguay in Philadelphia in the World Cup's last 16 on Sunday as co-hosts Canada prepare for a daunting date with African giants Morocco in Houston.