Norway, France, and Mexico secured their spots in the round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after winning their knockout matches on Matchday 20.
Norway Edges Ivory Coast
Norway defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 in a tightly contested match. Antonio Nusa opened the scoring in the 39th minute with a curling shot past goalkeeper Yahia Fofana.
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Ivory Coast equalized in the 60th minute through substitute Amad, who scored after cutting in from the left flank.
Erling Haaland netted the winner in the 86th minute from close range, securing Norway's place in the last 16.
The match featured a physical midfield battle and technical skill from both young squads.
France Dominates Sweden
France beat Sweden 3-0 with a dominant performance. Kylian Mbappe scored twice, and Bradley Barcola added a third goal.
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Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise provided assists.
The French defense kept a clean sheet, limiting Swedish forwards Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak.
Mexico Overcomes Ecuador
Mexico defeated Ecuador 2-0 in a match delayed one hour due to regional storms. The win eliminated Ecuador, which had earlier beaten Germany in the group stage.
Seventeen-year-old midfielder Gilberto Mora continued his international emergence for Mexico.
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The results also affected The Athletic's prediction tournament, with the computer algorithm tying for first place with editorial experts.
