Round of 32 heats up at 2026 FIFA World Cup
More eliminations as The 2026 FIFA World Cup pulls more surprises
DALLAS — More African teams joined their South African counterparts in exiting the FIFA World Cup tournament after getting eliminated in the round of 32 knockout phase.
With more teams involved in this year’s FIFA World Cup tournament, a round of 32 was introduced. This gave a chance to include more teams in the tournament and some might say it was a success as some shocking outcomes have been seen already. More African teams made it through to the knockout phase but at the moment, only Morocco has managed to evade eviction from the tournament.
Abu Bakari, an Ivory Coast citizen and football supporter currently invested in the FIFA World Cup, is among the most disappointed fans. His country could not make it through to last 16, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Norway. There have been a lot of good contests being played with the African teams producing some unexpected performances.
It has not been easy for the football “firehouses” and favorites in the tournament, as they have had to fight hard to earn their spots in the last 16. The likes of Norway, England, and Belgium had to dig deep in order to make it through to the last 16.
England had to come from behind after conceding a goal in the 7th minute of the first half to beat DR Congo in the round of 32 encounter. Harry Kane (England) had to pull out a masterclass in the final third to earn the qualification for his country. The Englishman had to score two magnificent goals to put his team ahead in the final minutes of the match to push England through.
Youri Tielemans celebrates after scoring two for Belgium to push through to last 16 at the FIFA World Cup in Seattle Stadium, Seattle on July 1, 2026 at 6:42 PM. Photo: Alex Grimm/Getty Images
Belgium, on the other hand, was staring at the jaws of defeat until the final minutes of the match before things turned in their favor. Senegal had pulled off a wonder performance, even managing to score twice and go 2-0 up in the second half. It took 86 minutes for Belgium to get the ball into the net after they had to introduce their main man, Romelu Lukaku, in the second half, and he did not disappoint. It took only three minutes for Belgium to equalize as Senegal was unable to keep calm for the remaining minutes leading to extra time. In extra time Belgium took it to Senegal, managing to get a penalty awarded in the final minute where Youri Tielemans took the assignment and managed to score, winning it 3-2 for Belgium.
“Uh, just head home and watch the rest of the World Cup on TV. Next time we go again," said Abu Bakari a football supporter.”
With these remarkable performances, it has shown how much African teams have improved but also exposed their weakness in getting over the line. All eliminated teams have conceded in the dying minutes of the match after playing well through the match.