Норвеги Бразилийг тэмцээнээс хасч, Англи Мексикийг буулган авсан хурцадмал тоглолтууд болон ФИФА-гийн маргаантай шийдвэр хөлбөмбөгийн ертөнцийг донсолголоо.
Ням гарагт болсон тоглолтуудад Норвеги улс Эрлинг Хааландын хоёр гоолоор Бразилийг 2:1-ээр хожиж, тэмцээний шөвгийн наймд шалгарлаа. Харин Мехико хотноо болсон тоглолтод Англи улс 10 хүнтэй үлдсэн ч Мексикийг 3:2-оор буулган авч, дараагийн шатанд шалгарсан нь тэмцээний түүхэн дэх шилдэг тоглолтуудын нэгд тооцогдож байна. Энэхүү ялалтын дараа Норвеги болон Английн шигшээ багууд шөвгийн наймд хоорондоо тулалдахаар боллоо.
Тоглолтын талбайгаас гадна ФИФА-гийн шийдвэр хамгийн их анхаарал татлаа. АНУ-ын шигшээ багийн тоглогч Фоларин Балогуны улаан хуудсыг хүчингүйд тооцсон нь тэмцээний шударга байдалд эргэлзээ төрүүлж, Норвегийн дасгалжуулагч Стале Сольбаккен энэхүү шийдвэр нь хөлбөмбөгийн спортод сөргөөр нөлөөлнө хэмээн шүүмжилсэн юм. Хэдийгээр маргаан дэгдсэн ч Балогун болон АНУ-ын тоглогчид үлгэр жишээ байдлыг харуулж, Бельгитэй хийх тоглолтод төвлөрч байна.
Алтан шаахайн төлөөх өрсөлдөөн урьд хожид байгаагүй өндөр түвшинд хүрээд байна. Лионель Месси, Эрлинг Хааланд нар тус бүр долоон гоолтойгоор жагсаалтыг тэргүүлж байгаа бөгөөд тэдний араас Килиан Мбаппе нэхэж явна. Тэдний үзүүлж буй амжилт нь 1970 оны Герд Мюллерийн 10 гоолын дээд амжилтыг эвдэх боломжтойг харуулж байна.
Даваа гарагт Испани-Португалийн хүлээлт өндөртэй тоглолт болох бол АНУ-Бельгийн тоглолт түүхэн дэх хамгийн их үзэгчтэй тоглолтуудын нэг болох төлөвтэй байна. Испани, Португалийн хувьд өмнөх тоглолтуудын үр дүн тэнцээгээр өндөрлөж байсан тул энэ удаад торгуулийн цохилтоор шийдэгдэх магадлал өндөр байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүй эх сурвалжийг харах
Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
Was this the most momentous day of the 2026 World Cup?
Co-hosts Mexico lost perhaps the game of the tournament so far to England, Brazil were dumped out by Norway’s Vikings and, if you throw in one of the most controversial decisions in the modern history of the World Cup then, yes, it was.
FIFA’s unprecedented decision to allow Folarin Balogun to play in the U.S. team’s huge last-16 clash with Belgium in Seattle was the day’s major talking point. Recriminations from it may ripple on for some time yet.
On the pitch, Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and their England team-mates produced a performance for the ages in Mexico City, somehow holding off the fervent co-hosts with 10 men after a second-half red card.
And despite a late penalty from Neymar, Brazil made their earliest exit from the competition since 1990, with Erling Haaland scoring with two clinical second-half strikes to put Norway into their first-ever World Cup quarter-final, where they will face England. Haaland’s goals also saw him pull level with Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi at the top of a fascinating race for the Golden Boot.
Sunday’s results
Brazil 1-2 Norway
Mexico 2-3 England
Should the U.S. feel guilty about having Balogun back?
On a day that should have been about soccer, about Norway over Brazil, about England-Mexico at the Azteca, the 2026 World Cup’s biggest controversy erupted, and it twisted the story of USMNT’s magical run.
Until Sunday, it was an overwhelmingly positive story about how a likeable team had captivated its nation.
On Sunday, FIFA’s decision to essentially rescind Folarin Balogun’s red card — following a push by U.S. Soccer officials and the Trump administration — sparked incredulous reactions worldwide and questions about the integrity of the competition.
“It’s a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad decision that will hurt the World Cup,” Norway coach Stale Solbakken said when asked about the reversal after his team’s Sunday win over Brazil. “And I feel also sorry for the United States, because if they win, that will hang in the (background). It’s not good for the sport.”
But the uncomfortable paradox of it all is that the face of the controversy, Balogun, and the team that many around the world will now turn on are blameless.
Flo Balogun’s red card is being suspended. Here’s why that’s controversial.
Henry Bushnell and Jayne Orenstein
So, should they feel any guilt as they take the field Monday against Belgium? Of course not. They have handled the situation with class and grace. They refrained from complaints on Wednesday night. Balogun shook the referee’s hand, stayed positive, and spoke about setting an example for the millions of boys and girls watching across the country and around the world.
That’s why the vast majority of American fans have celebrated the decision. Even among those who think FIFA is shameless, and even among those who detest Trump or feel icky about his involvement, the prevailing response has been one of triumph and glee. Even if the reversal puts a permanent stain on this World Cup, it doesn’t seem like it will dampen enthusiasm (or patriotism) around the USMNT.
And even if you fault FIFA for favoritism, or the U.S. government or U.S. Soccer for overstepping boundaries, even if you feel like rules were bent to aid a co-host, the players weren’t the ones doing the bending.
Henry Bushnell
Was Mexico vs England the World Cup game that had it all?
If you had to watch one match from the World Cup so far on repeat, Mexico versus England would surely be it.
There isn’t much more you can ask for from a football game than five goals, two penalties, a red card, controversy, aggro, comebacks, tension, great goals, amazing saves, the two benches confronting each other and all played out to a soundtrack of unrelenting, unforgiving noise.
The fact it was played in Mexico, in front of 80,000 baying fans, at a modern colosseum many believe to be the greatest football stadium of them all, provided the perfect setting and amplified the unceasing drama.
The fact that England won it with a truly heroic, backs-to-the-wall performance of guts and grit, made this one of their best-ever World Cup victories.
It was, as England manager Thomas Tuchel said afterwards, “a crazy game”.
In a swirl of heightened emotions, a frantic, frenzied encounter didn’t have much to do with tactical acumen or quality football, certainly not in the closing stages when Tuchel utilised a rarely seen 5-4-0 formation, sending on a 34-year-old 6ft 7in defender in Dan Burn for his World Cup debut as England braced themselves for a barrage.
The final minutes, with Mexico swinging cross after cross into the England box, most of them repelled by Burn or outstanding goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (who earlier had made two world-class saves from Mexico striker Raul Jimenez), were exclusively attack versus defence, but England’s defence held firm. Kane lost his voice, squeaking his way through a post-match interview with Fox, and Jude Bellingham was almost lost for words. It was a monumental effort from all of them.
Mexican hearts were broken, and the fact they played their part in such a memorable match will be no consolation. This was a bona fide World Cup classic.
Tim Spiers
How many goals will the Golden Boot winner score?
Everybody’s talking about who’s going to win the famous golden trophy.
Will it be retained by the 2022 victor? Will the Scandinavian dark horse triumph? All good questions, but forget the World Cup. It’s the race to claim the Golden Boot which is surely the most exciting that has ever been staged.
The award is normally very much in the background while the tournament progresses and, yes, a big name normally claims it (Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and James Rodriguez are the last three winners). But for three of the best players to be vying for the crowd this time around is completely unprecedented.
Not just that, but the number of goals Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi are scoring has also never been seen before.
In 10 of the past 12 World Cups, dating back to 1978, six goals has been enough to win the Golden Boot outright. Mbappe, Haaland and Messi are already on seven and they have at least one more game left each, possibly as many as four in Messi’s case should Argentina reach the semi-finals.
Messi has scored in all four of his appearances so far (seven goals from four games), as has Haaland (seven goals from four games), while Mbappe has scored in four out of five. He provided two assists in the game he didn’t find the net.
That’s 21 combined goals in just 13 combined appearances. Sensational.
Who wins? Messi has to be the slight favourite, owing to the fact he still hasn’t played his last-16 match with Argentina and, should they get through as expected against Egypt, they have another pretty favourable tie against Colombia or Switzerland in the quarter-finals. To be fair, those nations are no Cape Verde.
Messi has also scored in eight consecutive World Cup games (a record), but from a neutral point of view it really doesn’t matter. We just get to enjoy history being made as the biggest of names turn up on the grandest of football stages.
The last player to reach double figures in a World Cup was Gerd Muller of West Germany in 1970 with 10. It’s hard to imagine that won’t be beaten in the coming weeks and even Just Fontaine’s 1958 record of 13 goals for France could be under threat.
Tim Spiers
What to know about Monday’s games?
If you thought Sunday was big, Monday would like to introduce itself.
Spain versus Portugal is almost as big as it gets in World Cup terms; Iberian neighbours, two of the favourites to win the tournament, Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lamine Yamal and it’s almost impossible to pick a winner. Six of their past seven meetings have been drawn, so perhaps plan for penalties, which is exactly what happened in the Nations League final last year (Portugal won after a 2-2 draw).
However, that’s only a warm-up for potentially the biggest and almost certainly the most-watched match in the history of the USMNT. Seattle, Belgium, a quarter-final spot on the line. History awaits.
Monday’s matches
Portugal vs Spain (3pm ET; 12pm PT; 8pm BST)
USA vs Belgium (8pm ET; 5pm PT; 1am BST+1)
