Tuesday was a day of contrasts in the : France crushed Sweden with a decisive 3-0, Mexico dispatched Ecuador with equal ease at the Azteca, and Norway delivered the upset of the afternoon by overcoming Ivory Coast 2-1 in Dallas.
France 3-0 Sweden
Kylian Mbappé was the standout player of the match held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he scored in the 45th minute and again in the 74th to complete a brace that made him the tournament's top scorer with six goals, tying with Lionel Messi.
Bradley Barcola extended the lead in the 53rd minute with an assist from Michael Olise, who was the creative engine of the team led by Didier Deschamps throughout the match.
The Swedish goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström prevented a more significant defeat with nine saves, although he could do nothing against the French superiority.
In the round of 16, France will face Paraguay on July 4 in Philadelphia. The South Americans reached this stage after eliminating Germany in penalties (3-4) in the previous round.
Mexico 2-0 Ecuador
El Tri reaffirmed its great moment in the tournament with a resounding victory against Ecuador at the Estadio Azteca, with goals from Julián Quiñones in the 22nd minute and Raúl Jiménez in the 31st, both substituted in the 80th minute.
The team of Javier Aguirre was superior from start to finish, never allowing Ecuador to find answers, marking the first World Cup encounter between both teams in 24 years.
The expulsion of Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapié in the 94th minute sealed the match. The Arsenal player was penalized for covering his mouth while speaking with Santiago Giménez, violating the new FIFA rule known as the "Prestianni Law," which prohibits that gesture to ensure transparency in communications on the field.
With this victory, Mexico advanced to the round of 16 and became the first CONCACAF team to eliminate a CONMEBOL opponent in a knockout stage of a World Cup.
Ivory Coast 1-2 Norway
Norway returns to the knockout stage of a World Cup for the first time since France 1998, 28 years later, after a hard-fought victory over Ivory Coast at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
Antonio Nusa opened the scoring in the 46th minute, but Amad Diallo equalized for the African team in the 74th. The final blow was struck by Erling Haaland in the 86th minute, when he capitalized on the only clear chance he had to seal the match.
Ivory Coast dominated much of the match with greater possession and several chances in the opponent's area, but lacked the decisiveness to maintain the draw in the final minutes.
With his latest goal, Haaland has reached five goals in the tournament, tying with Mbappé and trailing Messi by one in the race for the Golden Boot. The Manchester City forward is chasing Messi in the scoring chart along with the French captain.
Norway will face a major challenge: the confirmed match against Brazil is scheduled for July 5 at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey.
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