World Cup 2026: Mexico, Brazil and Paraguay ousted in round of 16

Just two Latin American teams Argentina and Colombia remain at the 2026 World Cup after Paraguay, Brazil and Mexico were eliminated in the round of 16 over the weekend. The biggest casualty was undoubtedly Brazil. The Seleo had yet to hit top form in the tournament, but many expected Carlo Ancelotti’s side to raise its level once the knockout stage began.  Instead, it came up short against one of the competition’s surprise packages. Brazil was the better side in the first half, creating several clear chances that forced Norwegian goalkeeper rjan Nyland into a string of saves, including a penalty stop in the 14th minute. The second half told a different story. Norway’s tactical adjustments paid off, giving the team greater attacking fluency while limiting Brazil’s influence. Although defensive lapses nearly proved costly, the five-time champions once again failed to capitalize. The final 10 minutes belonged to Erling Haaland. The Manchester City striker headed home from a cross in the 79th minute before sealing the victory with a powerful low strike from outside the box 10 minutes later. Brazil pushed until the end, but Neymar Jr.’s penalty in the 100th minute of stoppage time proved nothing more than a consolation. “We’re very sad because the team had a good World Cup, even if not a great one,” Ancelotti said after the match, insisting the defeat would not bring his tenure as Brazil coach to an end. The Italian said Brazil had “the match under control” for long stretches but struggled to press high enough to force mistakes from the Norwegians. “We’ll have to process the disappointment from this defeat, something I’m quite used to, and we’ll come back stronger,” Ancelotti said. Mexico falls in the round of 16 With Canada already out of the tournament, Mexico was hoping to avoid becoming the second host nation eliminated in the first knockout round. England, however, spoiled the party with a 3-2 victory to book its place in the quarterfinals. The match was evenly contested from the outset, but the Three Lions struck first and twice. Midfielder Jude Bellingham opened the scoring in the 36th minute, heading home a Bukayo Saka cross, before doubling England’s lead moments later after capitalizing on a counterattack sparked by a mistake from Mexican teenager Gilberto Mora. Mexico responded before halftime through Julin Quiones, whose 42nd-minute goal cut the deficit to 2-1. The hosts continued to press after the break and appeared to gain the upper hand when Jarell Quansah was sent off for a heavy challenge on Jess Gallardo, reducing England to 10 men. But just three minutes later, Anthony Gordon won a penalty after being fouled in the box, and captain Harry Kane converted from the spot to restore England’s two-goal cushion. Mexico kept fighting and pulled another goal back from the penalty spot in the 69th minute, but it was not enough. “I can’t ask anything more from them,” Mexico coach Javier “Vasco” Aguirre said after the match. “We made a couple of mistakes and paid for them. I feel for the fans, but my players can hold their heads high because they gave everything against a great team.” England will face Norway in the quarterfinals at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, on Saturday, July 11, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. Argentina time. Paraguay bows out against France Paraguay became the first Latin American side eliminated in the round of 16 after losing 1-0 to France on Saturday. After pulling off a surprise victory over Germany in the previous round, Gustavo Alfaro’s team was chasing another upset but was undone by a Kylian Mbapp penalty. In a physical, hard-fought match, Paraguay largely succeeded in frustrating Les Bleus and limiting their attacking space, hoping to force another penalty shootout. Instead, the decisive moment came in the 65th minute, when Diego Gmez brought down Dsir Dou inside the box. Following a VAR review, referee Ilgiz Tantashev awarded a penalty, which Mbapp converted. Paraguay’s limited attack was unable to find an equalizer. “We didn’t want to leave, and we came very close,” Alfaro said after the match. “We fought with everything we had, with what was left in the tank.” The Argentine coach, who stopped short of confirming he will remain in charge of Paraguay, said the national team “can expect great things in the future” if the squad maintains the commitment it showed throughout the tournament. Cover image: Copa Mundial FIFA twitter