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Sunday at the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup features two very unpredictable games in the round of 16. Brazil and Norway will open the day in New Jersey with Erling Haaland looking to continue his impressive scoring run against the five-time champions who suffered a real scare in the round of 32 against Japan. The second game takes us to Mexico City where England will need to play much better than it has so far at the tournament against a Mexico team that has won all four of its games without conceding a goal. Here is all you need to know for Sunday at the World Cup. When: Sunday, July 5, 4 p.m. ET Where: New York/New Jersey TV: FOX Stream: Watch three days free on FOX One This will be a matchup of elite attacking teams when Brazil and Norway meet at New York New Jersey Stadium in the round of 16. When looking at their histories against each other and at this stage of the tournament, there are lot of conflicting trends. Beginning with its 2-1 win over Brazil at the 1998 World Cup, Norway enters this game unbeaten in its last four games (two wins, two draws) against the five-time World Cup champions. Brazil, meanwhile, has won nine of its last 10 round of 16 games at the World Cup but has lost all six of its World Cup knockout games (including the 2014 third place game) against European opponents following its win over Germany in the 2002 final. Norway enters this game with the strongest team it has ever had. At this World Cup, Haaland is playing in his first major international tournament and has not disappointed, having scored five goals in three games, and he now has 60 goals for Norway in just 53 caps. In this game, the task for Norway is to absorb Brazil’s pressure and look to break out quickly on counter attacks. Ståle Solbakken’s team will likely sit in a mid-block and look for central midfielders Martin Ødegaard and Sander Berge to lead quick transitions that typically are fed out wide before looking to set up Haaland. While Haaland has been excellent at the World Cup, the key to Norway’s success to this point has been its excellent play from out wide, especially on the left side. Left winger Antonio Nusa and left back David Møller Wolfe have both been dangerous in creating opportunities for themselves and for Haaland. Another issue for Norway is the current heat wave currently hitting the eastern part of the United States. Will that play a role? Can Norway handle the physical demands of playing in high temperatures? For Brazil, the team will likely need another big performance from Vinícius Junior, who has been excellent at this World Cup with four goals and an assist. While Vini Jr. featured four years ago in Qatar, this World Cup was when he was supposed to spearhead Brazil’s attack. So far, he lived up to expectations. The problem for Norway, is that Brazil is historically always deep, and this team is no different. Even if Viní Jr. is held off the scoreboard, Brazil boasts several other top scoring options. In the narrow 2-1 win over Japan in the round of 32, Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli and Manchester United midfielder Casemiro were the goal scorers while Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes and Arsenal’s Gabriel picked up assists. On the injury front, Brazil is missing two starters as both Lucas Paqueta and Raphinha are sidelined with hamstring injuries. The biggest question heading into this game is how Brazil will defensively try to stop Norway in transition. If Carlo Ancelotti’s team struggles with that, Norway can definitely pull off the upset. The problem for Brazil is that it is no secret how Norway plays. No team has been able to stop the Scandinavian side when it fields a top lineup. Haaland has scored goals in the last 13 consecutive competitive internationals he has played for Norway, scoring 25 goals in that run. This is a clash of two top offensive teams, but it will be decided on which team plays the best defense. Player to Watch While Brazil has many ways it can beat opponents, Norway is far more limited. Fortunately for The Vikings, its main weapon, Haaland, is one of the best forwards of his generation. If he can find openings in Brazil’s defense, it might be enough to spark an upset. He is certainly going to be the most consequential player in this game. When: Sunday, July 5, 8 p.m. ET Where: Mexico City TV: FOX Stream: Watch three days free on FOX One Sunday’s nightcap between Mexico and England features a matchup between two teams who have deep aspirations of making a deep run in this tournament. Played at the iconic Mexico City Stadium where Pelé and Diego Maradona were crowned World Cup champions, this will be the biggest test either team has faced so far in this tournament. Entering this game, Mexico has been flawless at this World Cup, defeating all four of its opponents with clean sheets in every game. It has outscored its opponents 8-0 during the tournament. Mexico’s star player has been winger Julián Quiñones, who was the leading scorer in the Saudi Pro League for the 2025-26 season with 33 goals in 31 games for Al Qadsiah. But here at the World Cup, Quiñones has three goals and an assist, with his best performance coming in the 2-0 win over Ecuador in the round of 32 where he shined against a team that conceded just five goals in 18 World Cup qualifiers in South America. But Mexico has several different scoring options. At age 35, forward Raul Jiménez has two goals and has been playing as if he was a decade younger. Chivas attacking midfielder Roberto Alvarado has three assists in this tournament and has been critical to keeping Mexico on the front foot in each game. Then there is midfielder Gilberto Mora, who at age 17 is the youngest player in the tournament and is a budding star. Mora earned the start against Ecuador and was dangerous throughout the first half. For Mexico to be successful against an English team that hopes to lift the trophy on July 19, it is going to require another big effort from its defense, which has been the best in the tournament. This will be, by far, the best attack Mexico has faced. Central defenders César Montes and Johan Vásquez, along with fullbacks Jorge Sánchez and Jesús Gallardo deserve a lot of credit for the team’s defensive success for posting four clean sheets has been a total team effort. Javier Aguirre has his team playing with so much raw intensity that no team has been able to match it. England has a very tough assignment in this game. Mexico has not lost a competitive home game since 2013. The venue for this game gives Mexico one of the sport’s greatest home field advantages. The Three Lions have struggled since its 4-2 win over Croatia in its opening game. The scoreless draw with Ghana showed an offense that can sputter when Harry Kane in not on the top of his game. The win over Panama was pedestrian. In the round of 32 against DR Congo, England needed two late goals from Kane to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win and avoid an embarrassingly early exit. For England, the team is deep with wingers, but none of the options have been consistent at this tournament and that makes it hard for head coach Thomas Tuchel to know who to start. For example, in the win over Croatia, starter Anthony Gordon struggled while Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford were excellent off the bench to propel England to the win. Then against DR Congo, England was on the verge of a loss before Gordon replaced Rashford in the 60th minute and assisted on both of Kane’s goals. Tuchel faces a difficult task of getting his starting lineup right and, aside from the expected win over Panama, Tuchel has yet to do so in this tournament. Playing Mexico in Mexico City will be England’s toughest challenge so far, and Tuchel cannot afford to have England start the game poorly as digging out of a hole might be too difficult. Another difficult challenge for England in this game, apart from a good Mexico team and a large and mostly hostile crowd, is altitude. That has not been an issue with the location of its first four games, but now England will have to play at 7,220 feet above sea level and that has historically been very, very difficult for opposing teams to handle. It is not going to be easy for England, and Tuchel will need to be prepared with a starting lineup that is very fit and a roadmap of when to strategically use its substitutes. Player to Watch Along with Haaland, Kane is one of the best center forwards of his generation. Thus far in the tournament, Kane has been very effective in bailing England out of otherwise subpar performances. In this game, Kane will face the tournament’s best defensive team that will be highly focused on stopping him. But even if Kane can be stopped from scoring, he can also be very valuable drifting back into midfield and helping create plays. If Kane struggles in this game, it could be a very long day for the Three Lions. On the other hand, if Kane can find the back of the net early, it will make life easier for England to deal with the crowd and the altitude the rest of the way.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

SEATTLE — As the story goes, Ricardo Pepi hung up the phone on former U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter when he was informed he didn’t make the 2022 World Cup roster. Less than four years later, Pepi was driving in the car with his father when he received a WhatsApp notification from Mauricio Pochettino. The message? He was part of the 26-man squad heading to this summer’s tournament on home soil. “I showed it to him, and he immediately started crying a little bit,” said Pepi — who was coached by his dad when he was a kid — back in May ahead of the USA’s World Cup campaign. “Being left off is obviously not nice, but [I’ve been] using that in a good way to be able to be in this World Cup. I felt like it helped me grow. It matured me a little bit. So it was part of the process.” Pepi has appeared in all four of the USA’s World Cup games so far, starting two. He may get a massive opportunity on Monday against Belgium in the round of 16 matchup at Seattle Stadium due to starting striker Folarin Balogun’s suspension after being shown a controversial red card in last week’s resilient win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. There are a few different ways Pochettino could adjust his lineup to account for Balogun’s absence. The simplest option would be to keep the other 10 starters intact and plug in either Pepi or Haji Wright up top, even though each brings a different skill set. Or Pochettino could opt for a more creative tweak, similar to when he paired Pepi and Balogun together against Australia after Christian Pulisic was sidelined with a calf injury. We won’t know Pochettino’s tactical approach until kickoff, but if Pepi gets the start, his teammates have full confidence in him. “His tenacity and energy has been unreal to be honest,” Tyler Adams told reporters ahead of training this week on the campus of the University of Washington. “I’ve played with Pepi quite a bit, but what he’s done against the ball has been huge for us and also for our wingers so they don’t have to do necessarily as much work. He’s holding the ball up really well and when he gets in front of goal, we know he can score. “Obviously he hasn’t done it yet, but we know that he’s a good finisher in and around the goal.” Pepi had a chance in the second half against Paraguay, but otherwise has struggled to make much of an impact this tournament. His recent club form, however, suggests that could change. The 23-year-old Texan is coming off a stellar season with PSV Eindhoven, helping the Dutch club win a third straight Eredivisie title. He scored 19 goals in 34 appearances across all competitions despite missing most of January and February with a broken arm. Before the injury, he had scored in six consecutive league matches. He regained his form after returning from injury, finishing the club season with six goals in his final five appearances. He carried that momentum into the Americans’ pre-tournament friendly against Senegal, and although he didn’t score, his chemistry with Pulisic was evident as he recorded an assist and helped spark the attack. “Pepi is a killer,” Pochettino told reporters in May. “He’s a player that has the capacity to read where the space is to the ball, arrive to the ball, and have the possibility to score and to create chances, sometimes, from nowhere.” And big European clubs have noticed. Earlier this year, for example, rumors swirled about a potential summer transfer to Fulham. It never materialized, but a strong performance against Belgium could reignite interest. “His finishing is really good — he can be really important with his finishing for us,” Sergiño Dest, who plays with Pepi at PSV, said Saturday. “And also he’s comfortable playing. He played some great games already. He fits in the team well. He’s a different type of striker, but now, if he plays [against Belgium], it’s his chance to show what he’s capable of.” Losing your leading goalscorer during the knockout stage of a World Cup might sound like the worst-case scenario, but the Americans aren’t stressed. Pochettino has built the group to value the team over individuals, and it’s seeped into their identity. “One man’s down, the next steps up,” defender Chris Richards said after the win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. “We’re more than just one player.” Balogun, who spoke to the media on Friday, said he will do everything to support the team – and Pepi in particular if his name is called. “Whatever he needs, whatever he needs,” Balogun said. “I’m not the sort of person who’s going to bombard you — I’m quite a reserved person in general — but whatever he needs. And not just him, but anyone in the team. They need any advice or anything in any way I can help. I’m more than happy to do that. “I’ve always said the team comes first, so whether I’m out there or not, it will be no different.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 16 started on a high note Saturday, with the first pair of matches resulting in a rematch of one of the 2022 World Cup’s most memorable matches in the quarterfinals. Here is everything you might have missed on Day 24 of the tournament: BEST OF THE DAY Moment Of The Day Kylian Mbappé remains hot on Lionel Messi’s tail. Not only did the 27-year-old superstar score his seventh goal of the tournament, bringing him level with Lionel Messi in the World Cup Golden Boot race, but he is also now just one goal away from tying Messi’s record for the most goals ever at the FIFA World Cup. The good news for Mbappé? All signs point to it being a matter of when, not if, he has the record all to himself. Goal Of The Day Azzedine Ounahi opened the scoring for Morocco with a stunner from outside the box that Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau was unable to get a hand on. Assist Of The Day Ounahi’s second goal was a product of Brahim Diaz’s brilliant holdup play in the box. Once Ounahi was in place, Diaz just dumped it off to the 26-year-old midfielder. Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill can leave the World Cup with his head held high. He continued his strong tournament with a four-save outing against France, the best of which came with Mbappé charging toward goal with a full head of steam. Canada vs. Morocco Paraguay vs. Morocco​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

In 1776, the French played a pivotal role in helping the Americans gain independence. Now 250 years later, on the fourth of July and in the city of Philadelphia where the Declaration of Independence was signed, France used that as a motivator and, through hard work and perseverance, it came out victorious against a stubborn Paraguay with a hard-fought 1-0 win thanks to Kylian Mbappé’s penalty shot. This wasn’t a classic French win, but it was a gritty one, born out of necessity as opposed to style. There was some drama and an unnecessary scuffle, but the two-time champions came through. As a result, France is once again in the quarterfinal stage of the World Cup. It is its fourth straight appearance in the last eight. And now comes a tasty matchup against Morocco on Thursday in Boston. For Paraguay, it leaves with its head high, with the remarkable win over Germany as a great gift to take back to Asunción. Here are my takeaways. 1. Great Teams Find A Way To Win I will get to Paraguay’s plan and how it made it difficult against France in a moment, but there’s no doubt that, despite the win, today was a wake-up call for France. It knows that it has to do more in order to persevere. France won but struggled to find its identity. Think about this. Per FotMob, France attempted the most shots outside the box at the World Cup due to Paraguay’s low-block. France has to figure out how to break these teams faster than in this match. I think this win came as a result of Deschamps halftime talk, pushing his team to be more adventurous. That’s why Désiré Doué’s introduction in the 61st minute was key. The PSG star won the penalty with a wonderful, individual dribbling run inside the box and forced the foul inside the box. Sometimes, you have to let your players express themselves and be risky in attack. And that’s exactly what happened. 2. Good On Mbappé For Staying Cool The French superstar and captain scored the penalty that made it 1-0 and sealed the victory for his team. It was his 7th goal of the tournament, making him level with Lionel Messi but also, and amazingly, he is now one goal behind Messi’s all-time World Cup scoring record (20) with 19 goals. The fact that it’s Messi’s sixth World Cup and this is only Mbappé’s third is unbelievable. But was also impressive is Mbappé not falling into some of the gamesmanship of Paraguay’s defenders. He kept his composure at the end of some tough physical contact that was meant to fluster and throw off the star. He often did it with either a smile or a smirk, knowing that it was all part of the strategy to get under his skin. 3. Paraguay’s Defensive Strategy Was Right Call Paraguay knows who it is and what it can and cannot do. And against France, clearly a stronger team with the ball, it decided to create a formidable wall, denying the two-time World Cup champion from making a shot on target until the 55th minute. It packed the box with six to seven players and never allowed Mbappé, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé to get into rhythm. It often broke passes and did a lot of off-the-ball work to keep the French at bay, relying fully on the counter. The Guaraní ended up losing as, due to the heat and France’s inevitable talent, it was just too hard to continue with the same level of vigor and resilience. Regardless, even though it bows out of the competition, it can be very proud of what it achieved at this tournament. 4. Do Les Bleus Need A Plan B As It Goes Further? Next for France is Morocco, a team that loves to play with the ball, so the Atlas Lions will be a better-suited matchup than Paraguay due to the opponent’s philosophies. But after that, who knows? Deschamps knows that other teams might prove to be extremely stubborn in the final third and make it very difficult to get the ball moving. France is the kind of team that doesn’t need to adjust just because of its core of talent, especially the attacking line. However, if any other opponent takes on France and imitates Paraguay’s strategy, Les Bleus have to find a more direct approach in the future. It also has to protect the ball in a better way as the latter stages showed careless work in the midfield. I think Morocco – who lost to France in the 2022 semifiinals – will look at this and take multiple notes.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports