Ronaldo eliminates Modric, Vozinha faces Messi in unexpected veteran battle | OneFootball

With the round of 16 now within touching distance, the 2026 World Cup is beginning to separate genuine contenders from the rest.

Goals from Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye on either side of half-time inspired Switzerland to a 2-0 win over Algeria.

In addition to the Swiss, Portugal and Spain have also progressed to the next round.

Cristiano Ronaldo keeps his dream alive

Portugal pulled off a stunning second-half comeback to overcome Croatia in a dramatic last-32 tie at Toronto’s BMO Field, securing a 2-1 victory despite falling behind just after the break.

PSV Eindhoven winger Ivan Perisic broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute, putting Zlatko Dalic’s side on course to make it out of the opening World Cup knockout round for the third time in a row.

However, Portuguese talisman Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty in the 68th minute, only moments after scoring from a marginal offside.

When it looked like the game would go into extra time, second-half substitute Goncalo Ramos headed home Rafael Leao’s cross to complete the turnaround and send his team through to the next round.

Ronaldo’s dream of winning the only trophy missing from his glittering cabinet remains alive and kicking at the expense of Luka Modric, who will now bid farewell to the national team.

Croatia had three goals disallowed in the second half, including what Josko Guardiol thought was a 113th-minute equaliser, as VAR helped Portugal set up an all-Iberian last-16 clash against Spain.

Oyarzabal steals the show as Spain ease past Austria

Mikel Oyarzabal is enjoying the form of his life at this World Cup.

After tallying two goals and one assist in the group stage, the Real Sociedad talisman emerged as one of the architects of Spain’s emphatic 3-0 win over Austria in the opening knockout round.

His match-winning brace set La Furia Roja on their way, while Pedro Porro chipped in with his maiden international goal.

Spain will face Portugal in the round of 16, and the fact that they have yet to concede a single goal at this summer’s tournament is an ominous sign for whoever ends up locking horns with them.

Despite being voted the man of the match, Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal was in Oyarzabal’s shadow.

Oyarzabal has now made 24 goal contributions across his last 16 international appearances, establishing himself as the driving force behind Spain’s quest for World Cup glory.

Another commanding performance from the reigning European champions served as a stark reminder that, while France may be the favourites, La Furia Roja are their biggest obstacle on the road to the throne.

If both teams avoid any surprises along the way, a semi-final meeting in Dallas, Texas, could be on the cards.

While the Iberian giants’ imperious march goes on, Austria never really stood a chance in their first World Cup knockout game since 1954, finishing the match without a single shot on target.

Cape Verde’s dream World Cup run faces ultimate challenge

Few people expected Cape Verde to pick up a single point in their debut World Cup appearance, let alone progress from Group H at the expense of Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.

However, Bubista’s men have won the hearts of the footballing world in the most remarkable fashion, drawing all three group fixtures, including a scoreless stalemate against Spain on matchday one.

They became the first nation since Chile in 1998 to reach the World Cup knockout stage without a single victory and the first team since Slovakia in 2010 to advance from the group stage on their tournament debut.

Whether the lowest-ranked side to reach the World Cup knockout stage in their first appearance can stage another upset remains to be seen, as they gear up for a mouth-watering clash against defending champions Argentina.

La Celeste have been ruthless against African opposition at the World Cup, winning their last seven such games. With Lionel Messi firing on all cylinders, another giant-killing doesn’t look likely.

Level with Kylian Mbappe on six goals, the 39-year-old superstar will be eager to add to his ever-growing World Cup tally and take another step towards claiming the Golden Boot.

Messi scored six of Argentina’s eight goals in Group J, with Austria, Algeria and Jordan unable to keep him at bay.

It will take a performance of a lifetime from 40-year-old Vozinha to stop the World Cup all-time top scorer.

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Messi has been nothing short of phenomenal in the United States this summer, and a return to familiar surroundings in Miami may provide the perfect stage for another masterclass.

Records keep falling around one of the greatest ever to lace a pair of boots, as his free-kick against Jordan made him the first player in World Cup history to score in seven consecutive matches.

However, the diminutive forward seems to have no intention of stopping there.

With Argentina widely expected to progress deep into the tournament, he will have set his sights on joining Just Fontaine, Sandor Kocsis and Gerd Muller as the only players to reach double figures at a single World Cup.

The question is – what can Vozinha do to throw a spanner in the works?