The 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 has been defined by dramatic late goals and narrow escapes, with eight of the first 13 knockout matches decided in the final 10 minutes of normal time, extra time or penalty shootouts.
by sportswriters Cao Jianjie and Zhao Yan
NEW YORK, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The round of 32 has turned this World Cup into a tournament of fine margins.
Eight of the first 13 knockout matches were decided in the last 10 minutes of normal time, extra time or on penalties. The expanded 48-team format was expected by some to dilute the drama of the competition's second phase.
Instead, it has produced twists and emotion more commonly associated with the World Cup's final stages.
No result showed that better than Belgium's remarkable comeback against Senegal. Trailing 2-0 with five minutes of regulation time remaining, Belgium fought back through goals from Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans before Tielemans struck again with a 125th-minute penalty.
It was the latest goal in World Cup history and handed Rudy Garcia's side a 3-2 victory that had seemed improbable.
"It is a cruel loss, as we were good in the game," Senegal manager Pape Thiaw reflected after the match. "We had the advantage. We were leading 2-0. However a football match is not an 85-minute one."
Portugal also left it late to progress. Goncalo Ramos put his side ahead against Croatia with a stoppage-time header before a Croatian equalizer was ruled out for offside.
It sent Cristiano Ronaldo's side into the round of 16 while signaling a poignant World Cup finale for 40-year-old Croatia captain Luka Modric.
England came within minutes of a shock exit after falling behind to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the seventh minute. Harry Kane finally broke through with a 75th-minute goal before adding another 11 minutes later to maintain the country's hopes of a first World Cup title in 60 years.
By then, it no longer felt like an exception but part of a broader trend.
Norway was rewarded for its patience when Erling Haaland bundled home an 86th-minute winner against Cote d'Ivoire. Even then, Orjan Nyland had to make a stoppage-time save to seal a 2-1 victory and Norway's first World Cup knockout win.
"After their equalizer, it was easy to panic. But we got our players in the right position and managed to play our game again," Norway manager Stale Solbakken said.
Elsewhere, Morocco forced extra time against the Netherlands with a 91st-minute equalizer before prevailing in a penalty shootout.
Paraguay eliminated Germany on penalties after surviving a disallowed extra-time goal, while Canada and Brazil also needed injury-time winners to keep their campaigns alive.
In the World Cup knockout stage, one moment can separate survival from the flight home. ■
