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France’s Desire Doue (20) celebrates after scoring his side’s fourth goal during the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026.<\/p>\n
Charles Krupa\/AP Photo\/Charles Krupa<\/p>\n
Morocco fans gather ahead of the World Cup round of 32 soccer match against Netherlands at the Macroplaza square in Monterrey, Mexico, Sunday, June 28, 2026.<\/p>\n
Moises Castillo\/AP Photo\/Moises Castillo<\/p>\n
Japan’s Junya Ito (14) and Sweden’s Ken Sema (13) battle for the ball during the World Cup Group F soccer match between Japan and Sweden in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Thursday, June 25, 2026.<\/p>\n
Sam Hodde\/AP Photo\/Sam Hodde<\/p>\n
Ivory Coast players celebrate at the end of the World Cup Group E soccer match between Curacao and Ivory Coast in Philadelphia, Thursday, June 25, 2026.<\/p>\n
Matt Rourke\/AP Photo\/Matt Rourke<\/p>\n
Norway fans, looking like Norway’s star player Erling Haaland, pose after the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026.<\/p>\n
Martin Meissner\/AP Photo\/Martin Meissner<\/p>\n
Formidable France is back on the field for the World Cup round of 32, welcoming its coach back to the sideline after a one-game absence. So is Norway, which rowed into North Texas for its first knockout match in 28 years.<\/p>\n
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Meanwhile, host Mexico hopes a raucous home crowd and playing at altitude can help it prevail in Mexico City.<\/p>\n
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Elimination games continue on Tuesday with three matchups: France-Sweden, Ivory Coast-Norway and Mexico-Ecuador.<\/p>\n
Coach Didier Deschamps is back with France after traveling to Europe for his mother\u2019s funeral. Assistant Guy St\u00e9phan led Les Bleus to a 4-1 win over Norway in Deschamps\u2019 absence.<\/p>\n
Star striker Erling Haaland scored four goals in Norway’s first two group-stage games before sitting out the loss to France. He will try to lead his country to a win over Ivory Coast.<\/p>\n
Mexico will have the home crowd behind it at Estadio Azteca after winning all three of its games in Group A. Ecuador qualified for the knockout rounds in dramatic fashion, beating soccer heavyweight Germany 2-1 in its group finale.<\/p>\n
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What to watch on June 30<\/p>\n \u2014 Ivory Coast vs. Norway, 1 p.m. EDT in Arlington, Texas (Fox\/Telemundo\/Peacock)<\/p>\n \u2014 France vs. Sweden, 5 p.m. EDT in East Rutherford, New Jersey (Fox\/Telemundo\/Peacock)<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u2014 Mexico vs. Ecuador, 9 p.m. EDT in Mexico City (Fox\/Telemundo\/Peacock)<\/p>\n Norway rows into North Texas for showdown vs. Ivory Coast<\/p>\n A rested Norway was greeted by about a dozen local law enforcement officials making a rowing motion on the tarmac when the team landed in Dallas ahead of its round of 32 game against Ivory Coast.<\/p>\n Norway coach St\u00e5le Solbakken said he was on the wrong side of the plane and didn\u2019t see it, but called it a \u201csurreal\u201d moment for the squad.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Haaland was among 10 regulars not in Norway\u2019s starting lineup for its group-stage finale. While some fans were disappointed, the loss to France was only four days after a 3-2 win over Senegal, and Norway had already secured a spot in the knockout stage for the first time since 1998.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to do what\u2019s best for the team. And the manager was clear and we agreed with him, that we had a really tough game before and we have a really hard game tomorrow, and we had the chance to rotate a little bit,\u201d team captain Martin Odegaard said Monday before a training session. \u201cWe have to think about ourselves, how we can go as far as we can in this competition.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome rest, I think that was the sensible thing to do. So I\u2019m very, very happy we did that,\u201d midfielder Patrick Berg said.<\/p>\n Ivory Coast, in its fourth World Cup, will play its first knockout game. Les \u00c9l\u00e9phants finished second in their group, like Norway did.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Deschamps trying to lead France to another deep World Cup run<\/p>\n Deschamps learned of his mother\u2019s death the day after France\u2019s win over Iraq on June 22, which clinched advancement from the group stage.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here. I\u2019m good, and it\u2019s good to be busy since Friday evening when I arrived back in the United States,\u201d Deschamps said Monday through an interpreter.<\/p>\n France swept its group matches for the first time since 1998, joined by Argentina and Mexico as the only nations to win all three games. Seeking their third title after 1998 and 2018, Les Bleus would face Germany or Paraguay in the round of 16 if they get past the Swedes.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Deschamps coached France to the 2018 title and to the 2022 final, which Argentina won on penalty kicks.<\/p>\n Captain of France\u2019s 1998 champions, Deschamps took over as coach in 2012 and said in January he would retire this summer. He is trying to become the second coach to win two World Cup titles after Italy\u2019s Vittorio Pozzo in 1934 and 1938.<\/p>\n France striker Marcus Thuram won\u2019t be available against Sweden because of a calf injury and midfielder N\u2019Golo Kant\u00e9 is uncertain.<\/p>\n Sweden defender Isak Hien will miss the match with a hamstring injury that forced him from last Thursday\u2019s game against Japan in the 37th minute.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Sweden’s results were all over the place during group play and it finished third in Group F. Sweden beat Tunisia 5-1 in the opener before losing to the Netherlands 5-1 and then fighting to a 1-1 draw with Japan.<\/p>\n France is meeting Sweden at the World Cup for the first time.<\/p>\n Mexico hopes home crowd, altitude can be an advantage<\/p>\n Mexico\u2019s best World Cup performances came when hosting the tournament in 1970 and 1986, reaching the quarterfinals on both occasions.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The current squad \u2014 which opened the tournament with three consecutive wins for the first time in its history \u2014 will play Ecuador, aiming to win its first knockout-stage match since June 1986, when it defeated Bulgaria in the round of 16.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if we\u2019re favorites but playing at home and with our fans behind us, we want to do things right,\u201d left back Jes\u00fas Gallardo said before Monday\u2019s training session.<\/p>\n In addition to the fans, the Mexicans benefit from the altitude \u2014 7,350 feet (2,240 meters) above sea level \u2014 a factor that has helped the team lose only two matches in its history at Estadio Azteca.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a 90-minute match ahead of us, plus extra time and possibly penalties, so we shouldn\u2019t focus on the altitude but rather on playing football the way we have so far,\u201d Gallardo added.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Ecuador reached this round by finishing third in Group E, behind Germany and Ivory Coast.<\/p>\n More World Cup news<\/p>\n \u2014 South Korea coach quits after early World Cup exit prompts fierce criticism from president<\/p>\n \u2014 Inside the World Cup knockout stage bracket: Some teams have an easier path than others<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u2014 Czech Republic coach Koubek resigns after early World Cup exit<\/p>\n \u2014 Belgium center back Zeno Debast practices at World Cup for 1st time while recovering from leg injury<\/p>\n \u2014 World Cup in photos, Day 19<\/p>\n Stat of the day<\/p>\n<\/a>
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