2026 World Cup: The highs and lows of the round of 32

03.07.26 AET World Cup

Argentina

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Cabo Verde

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The round of 32 at the World Cup wrapped up on Friday night with Colombia clinching qualification at Ghana's expense. Let’s take a look back at the standout performers and disappointments from this stage.

The highs of the round of 32

- Full marks to Morocco and Egypt, the only two African teams to survive this round. The Atlas Lions knocked out the Netherlands, while the Pharaohs overcame Australia—both only after dramatic penalty shootouts.

- Harry Kane carried England. Just when the Three Lions were on the verge of elimination, the Bayern striker stepped up with a stunning brace, sending his team into the round of 16 and keeping their hopes alive for a first title since 1966.

- Cape Verde delivered a sensational performance against Argentina, pushing the reigning world champions into extra time. The Blue Sharks exited the competition with heads held high, earning widespread praise for their remarkable run.

- Mohamed Salah’s Panenka: The Pharaohs’ captain delighted fans with an audacious Panenka at a crucial moment, stepping up for his penalty against Australia. His composure inspired confidence among his teammates, helping them clinch the shootout.

- Hosts in form: Canada, Mexico, and the United States all advanced to the round of 16, helping to erase memories of previous host nation disappointments—South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022.

The lows of the round of 32

- Seven African teams crashed out, despite the continent’s historic feat of sending nine out of ten representatives to this stage. Some came agonizingly close to advancing, but a lack of experience at this level proved costly. Ivory Coast, DR Congo, and Senegal all suffered heartbreaking exits at the last hurdle.

- Germany bowed out after a defeat to Paraguay, meaning there will be no much-anticipated France-Germany clash in the round of 16. It marks another painful end of an era for German football, with yet another managerial change looming.

- Piero Hincapie received a highly avoidable red card for covering his mouth while speaking to a Mexican player. He became the second player to be sent off “stupidly” under the new rule, following Almiron (Paraguay).

- Cooling breaks continue to draw criticism. While FIFA defends them as a measure to protect player health, detractors see them as an excuse to squeeze in extra commercials and disrupt the game’s natural rhythm—a disguised tactical timeout for some.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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