World Cup Round of 32 sees Portugal defeat Croatia...

By Rohan Gupta — 3 July 2026 — 3 min read

Dramatic Finishes in Round of 32

The World Cup knockout stage has continued to deliver intense matches, with the Round of 32 nearing its conclusion. Among the day’s highlights, Portugal secured a dramatic victory over Croatia, while Spain achieved a decisive win against Austria. These results have set the stage for the remaining spots in the next round of the tournament.

The highly anticipated match between Portugal and Croatia lived up to expectations. The game saw Gonçalo Ramos emerge as a key player, scoring a stoppage-time goal that broke a 1-1 tie. This crucial goal was followed by a controversial decision to disallow a late goal from Croatia. Adding to the day’s events, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a penalty in the second half to equalize, placing him among the World Cup‘s all-time top 10 goal scorers.

For Croatia, the match marked the end of an era for Luka Modrić. The 40-year-old midfield player, who had led his nation to two top-three finishes in the World Cup, was participating in his final quadrennial competition.

Spain’s Dominant Performance and Upcoming Match

Earlier in the day, Spain kicked off proceedings with a strong performance against Austria. Spain secured its first World Cup knockout round victory since 2010, with a 3-0 blowout. Pedro Porro scored in the 66th minute, and Mikel Oyarzabal contributed a brace, sealing the win for La Roja.

Following these matches, attention turned to the evening’s fixture between Switzerland and Algeria in Vancouver. Switzerland entered the match favoured after a strong performance in Group B. Under manager Murat Yakin, Switzerland has maintained an unbeaten streak in their last nine matches.

The match began with Algeria controlling possession for much of the early game. However, Switzerland demonstrated their talent with a counter-attack in the 10th minute. Johan Manzambi advanced the ball towards the Algerian goal before setting up Breel Emboli for a tap-in goal, giving Switzerland an early lead. Riyad Mahrez had a significant scoring opportunity for Algeria in the sixth minute but could not convert a cross in front of the goal.

A hydration break occurred in the 25th minute with Switzerland still holding a 1-0 lead. Despite relatively even possession, Switzerland had created more scoring opportunities. Johan Manzambi, who assisted Switzerland‘s opening goal, briefly left the field after an apparent contact incident during another scoring chance but later returned and appeared to be moving well.

Algeria‘s Fares Chaibi received a yellow card, leading to a dangerous free kick for Switzerland. Fortunately for Algeria, Denis Zakaria‘s header was off-target. The first half concluded with Switzerland leading 1-0, despite the evenly matched play.

The second half started quickly, with Dan Ndoye scoring in the 46th minute, making it 2-0 for Switzerland. Ndoye, a Nottingham Forest professional, scored his first World Cup goal with a shot from the top of the penalty area. Algeria had a chance to reduce the deficit on a cross, but Denis Zakaria blocked the shot. Ibrahim Maza of Algeria went down with an apparent injury and left the field, though he later returned.

Substitutions were made by both teams, with Johan Manzambi, considered one of Switzerland‘s best players in the match, among those substituted. Hicham Boudaoui, an Algerian substitute, received a yellow card shortly after entering the game for a late challenge on Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka.

Algeria has not defeated a European side in the World Cup since 1982. The match between Switzerland and Algeria will determine the 13th team to secure a spot in the Round of 16.