Netherlands, Germany, and Japan all bowed out on a drama-filled day of round of 32 matches at the 2026 World Cup. Now it’s time for favourites France to take to the field in the knockout stages.
Les Bleus have won every game so far and face a potential banana skin in fellow Europeans Sweden. The duo lock horns at the MetLife Stadium at 10pm on Tuesday (all times UK).
However, before that contest gets underway, Erling Haaland’s Norway take on Ivory Coast in Arlington at 6pm. We round off the action at the iconic Estadio Azteca where co-hosts Mexico face Ecuador in the early hours (2am) of Wednesday morning.
Here are the key World Cup 2026 stats ahead of today’s three games.
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Key stats for Tuesday featuring France, Norway & Mexico
Ivory Coast vs Norway
- Ivory Coast key stat: Nicolas Pepe needs one more goal to become the Ivory Coast’s all-time leading World Cup goalscorer.
- Norway key stat: Erling Haaland can become the first player in 72 years to score 2+ goals in each of his first three World Cup appearances, since Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis in 1954.
Ivory Coast have already made history by winning multiple games (two) at a single World Cup. And, more significantly, reaching the knockout stages for the first time. Their reward is a last-32 meeting with Norway, who are making their third appearance in the knockout rounds and their first since 1998.
Erling Haaland has been Norway’s star, scoring braces in victories over Iraq and Senegal before being rested against France. He could become the first player in 72 years to score 2+goals in each of his first three World Cup appearances. Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis was the last to do so, in 1954.
Nicolas Pepe heads into the last-32 clash chasing history of his own. His brace in the 2-0 victory over Curacao took him level with Didier Drogba and three other players as Ivory Coast’s joint-leading World Cup scorer on two goals. So another goal against Norway would see him become his country’s outright record holder.
France vs Sweden
- France key stat: Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele have combined for five goals at this World Cup. One more goal involving the pair would see them set a new record for the most goal combinations between two players (since 1966).
- Sweden key stat: Anthony Elanga could become the first Swedish player since USA 1994 to score in three successive World Cup matches.
Group I winners France take on Group F’s third-placed Sweden in an all-European affair at the MetLife Stadium.
France have, arguably, been the team of the tournament so far. They went perfect in the group stage, beating Senegal (3-1), Iraq (3-0) and Norway (4-1). Including the pulsating 3-3 draw with Argentina in the 2022 final, Les Bleus have the opportunity to become the first side in World Cup history to score 3+ goals in five straight matches.
Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele are both right in the race for the Golden Boot after scoring four goals apiece in the group stages. Only Lionel Messi (six) has scored more goals in the tournament so far.
The pair have combined for five goals at the World Cup this summer, setting up one another. It’s a joint-tournament record alongside Andrzej Szarmach (Poland) and Miroslav Klose and Michael Ballack (Germany). So one more successful linkup would break the record for the most goal combinations between two players since records began in 1966.
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Mbappe also needs one goal to go ahead of Miroslav Klose as the World Cup’s second-highest scorer ever. The Frenchman is currently on 16 goals, which was the outright record when this tournament started. It would also see Mbappe become the first Frenchman to score at least five goals at multiple World Cup tournaments. Mbappe scored eight times en route to winning the Golden Boot in 2022.
Michael Olise and Alexander Isak were the joint-highest assist makers in the group stages, both recording three. But they now trail Bruno Guimaraes after he stretched his tally to four during Brazil’s last-32 win over Japan.
Isak’s teammate Anthony Eland has scored in his past two games against the Netherlands and Japan. He could become the first Swedish man since since Martin Dahlin and Kennet Andersson in 1994 to secure in three successive World Cup matches.
Sweden are also bidding to win only their second World Cup knockout stage match since finishing third in 1994. The historians will make the link of that tournament also being held in the United States. Sweden’s one knockout win since then was a 1-0 victory over Switzerland in 2018.
Mexico vs Ecuador
- Mexico key stat: Mexico are unbeaten in 25 matches at the Azteca, winning 19, while they have never lost a World Cup match at the stadium (W7 D2 L0).
- Ecuador key stat: Ecuador, who has lost one of their last 22 games, are looking to win their first ever World Cup knockout match.
Mexico were the only country to win all three matches to nil in the group stages. The co-hosts are now seeking their first knockout stage win since 1984, when they last hosted the World Cup. In fact, that last-16 win over Bulgaria is their only ever knockout stage victory in 17 previous appearances. Mexico progressed from the group stages in eight consecutive tournaments between 1994 and 2022. But they fell at the first knockout hurdle each time.
However, on this occasion, El Tri will be aided by a partisan crown at the Estadio Azteca. Mexico are currently unbeaten in 25 games at the stadium, winning 19, stretching back to a 2013 defeat to Honduras. In fact, this is one of only two defeats they’ve ever suffered at the stadium.
On top of that, Mexico have never lost a World Cup match at the Estadio Azteca. They’ve won seven and drawn two across tournaments in 1970, 1986 and the current edition. Expectation and confidence is understandably high.
Those statistics may count against opponents Ecuador, but the South American side head to Mexico City on a high themselves following their dramatic 2-1 win over four-time winners Germany. Sebastian Beccacece’s side have now lost just once in their last 22 matches, with nine wins and 12 draws.
But, Ecuador’s only previous World Cup knockout appearance ended in a narrow 1-0 defeat to England in 2006. So victory over Mexico would be historic as their first-ever knockout win at the tournament. They are also bidding to record multiple victories at a single World Cup for only the second time, having previously done so during their run in 2006.
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