Sports
Brazil’s road to 6th World Cup glory runs through fearless Norway
Brazil’s quest for a record-extending sixth FIFA World Cup title enters its most demanding stage yet when the five-time champions take on an inspired Norway in the Round of 16 on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
On paper, Brazil remain one of the favorites. On form, however, Norway have become one of the tournament’s most dangerous teams.
Making their first World Cup appearance since 1998, the Scandinavians have paired defensive discipline with attacking quality to emerge as genuine dark horses, led by Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard.
History also favors the underdogs. Norway have never lost to Brazil, recording two wins and two draws in four previous meetings, including a famous 2-1 victory during the group stage of the 1998 World Cup.
That unbeaten record has only strengthened belief within a squad already enjoying one of the greatest runs in Norwegian football history.
Brazil topped Group C without defeat before surviving a stern test against Japan in the Round of 32.
Gabriel Martinelli’s late winner secured a 2-1 victory, but Carlo Ancelotti’s side have yet to produce the dominant performances many expected.
While Vinicius Jr. has remained Brazil’s biggest attacking threat, questions persist over the team’s midfield balance and vulnerability to quick counterattacks.
Those concerns have been compounded by injuries.
Lucas Paqueta has been ruled out after suffering a thigh injury against Japan, depriving Brazil of one of their most creative midfielders.
Winger Raphinha has returned to training after his own thigh problem but remains doubtful to start, while Neymar continues to build fitness after recovering from a calf injury.
The veteran has made substitute appearances during the tournament and could be handed his first start if Ancelotti believes he is ready.
Brazil are also without Rodrygo, Eder Militao, goalkeeper Ederson and Joelinton, forcing Ancelotti to rely on the impressive depth of his squad.
Alisson remains one of the tournament’s most dependable goalkeepers, while Marquinhos and Gabriel marshal the back line.
Bruno Guimaraes and Casemiro are expected to anchor midfield, with Vinicius Jr., Martinelli, Endrick and Matheus Cunha providing Brazil with pace, creativity and goals in attack.
Norway, meanwhile, arrive in New Jersey full of confidence after eliminating Ivory Coast 2-1 in the Round of 32.
Antonio Nusa opened the scoring before Haaland struck the decisive goal late in the match to continue his outstanding tournament.
The Manchester City striker has scored five goals and sits among the competition’s leading scorers. Yet despite Norway’s remarkable run, Haaland remains grounded about the challenge awaiting his team.
“Very slim,” he said when asked about Norway’s chances against Brazil. “Nobody expected us to get this far. Brazil awaits in the last 16. It will be a fantastic challenge.”
Manager Stale Solbakken has another important advantage. After rotating key players during the group stage, Norway enter the knockout round with a fully fit squad.
Captain Odegaard has controlled matches with his vision and passing, while Nusa, Alexander Sorloth, Oscar Bobb and Jorgen Strand Larsen have given Norway impressive attacking depth around Haaland.
Defender Kristoffer Ajer has led a disciplined back line that has frustrated opponents throughout the tournament, while goalkeeper Orjan Nyland has provided consistency between the posts.
Norway’s remarkable campaign has also captured the imagination of fans beyond the field.
Their synchronized “Viking Row” celebration, performed by supporters before being adopted by the players after victories, has become one of the defining images of the World Cup. The celebration symbolizes the unity surrounding a team that has inspired a nation.
“It has been an extraordinary journey,” Haaland said after Norway’s victory over Ivory Coast. “It is incredible to see the fans with tears in their eyes. Everything is a bonus now.”
Sunday’s contest promises an intriguing tactical battle. Brazil are expected to dominate possession and attack through Vinicius Jr.’s pace and individual brilliance, while Neymar’s experience could prove decisive if he starts or comes off the bench.
Norway, however, have shown they are comfortable defending in a compact shape before breaking quickly through Odegaard’s creativity and Haaland’s devastating finishing. Their physical presence and threat from set pieces could also test a Brazilian defense that has occasionally looked vulnerable under pressure.
Switzerland ended an 88-year wait for a FIFA World Cup knockout victory with a commanding 2-0 win over Algeria to book their place in the round of 16.
The Swiss will next face the winner of Friday’s showdown between Colombia and Ghana, with a place in the quarterfinals at stake. Switzerland are chasing their first appearance in the last eight since hosting the tournament in 1954.
Breel Embolo gave Switzerland the perfect start in the 10th minute, finishing from close range after an outstanding solo run by Johan Manzambi. The Freiburg midfielder burst past his marker, kept the ball in play near the byline and picked out Embolo with a precise cutback for a simple finish.
Switzerland struck again just 48 seconds into the second half, doubling their advantage with the help of a costly Algerian defensive mistake.
Algeria twice failed to clear the ball after a cross from Denis Zakaria. It eventually fell to Dan Ndoye, who guided a low shot into the bottom corner.
Fabian Rieder had a chance to add a third goal in the 81st minute but somehow failed to convert from close range with goalkeeper Luca Zidane sprawled on the turf.
Rieder slipped behind the Algerian defense, but his effort bounced into Zidane’s arms before being cleared.
The match also marked Granit Xhaka’s 150th appearance for Switzerland.
“This day means a lot to me. It’s amazing to have played 150 matches for the country where I was born and raised,” the Switzerland captain said.
“I’m proud to wear the red jersey. The fact that we had a good match and advanced makes it even better.”
Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez, meanwhile, announced his retirement from international football.
“This was my last match with Algeria,” Mahrez said.
“Our aim was to go through, and I think it was a game we could have won. But we conceded twice because of mistakes, and at this level you can’t get away with it. There are always positives to take away. We managed to get out of the group stage, but we conceded too many goals to achieve more.”
Mahrez made 119 appearances for Algeria and helped the team win the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019.
He scored a stoppage-time winner against Nigeria in the semifinals to send Algeria into the final, where it lifted the title.
Mahrez also won four Premier League titles, including one with Leicester City in 2016 and three with Manchester City, where he also won the Champions League.
Iga Swiatek put a stuttering start to her Wimbledon title defense firmly behind her by powering to a statement second-round victory over Karolina Pliskova, while Alexander Zverev also eased through on Thursday.
Reigning champion Swiatek, who struggled to hold back tears after battling past Taylor Townsend in the first round, was back to her ruthless best in a 6-1, 6-3 dismantling of former world number one Pliskova in 70 minutes.
“For sure, the first round was really emotional, but today I felt like it’s another day at the office, I need to be ready, be sharp,” said Swiatek.
The Pole, who has been inconsistent since winning her sixth Grand Slam title at the All England Club 12 months ago, will next face the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala, who beat Serena Williams’ first-round conqueror Maya Joint.
Pliskova, who returned to the tour this year after a long-term injury absence, was no match for the third seed.
The 25-year-old Swiatek has reached at least the third round on each of her past 26 Grand Slam appearances since losing in round two at the 2019 U.S. Open.
Eala, the 29th seed, became the first woman from the Philippines to reach the third round of a Grand Slam, beating Joint 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 on a raucous Court Three.
“I think the atmosphere today was amazing, it was electric, respectful and all that I could have hoped for,” said the 21-year-old.
Last year’s runner-up Amanda Anisimova came back from a breakdown in the third set to beat Sofia Kenin in a deciding tiebreak.
Former Australian Open champion Madison Keys ended home interest in the women’s singles, beating Britain’s Katie Swan in straight sets.
Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, stepped up her bid to take the world-number-one ranking from Aryna Sabalenka next week with a ruthless 6-1, 6-2 rout of American Caty McNally.
Rybakina meets Belgian 25th seed Elise Mertens for a place in the last 16.
Britain’s future queen Princess Catherine attended the tournament on Thursday, greeting fans before taking in some of the action.
Zverev powers on
Zverev was on top form in a 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) victory over Valentin Royer, raising hopes the German can finally master the grass courts.
He ended his long wait for a maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open last month, but has never performed well at Wimbledon, failing to get past the last 16 in nine previous appearances at the All England Club.
The second seed has a golden opportunity to go further this time around, with Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic in the other half of the draw, and fourth seed Ben Shelton already out of the tournament.
“If I keep playing like this, I definitely think it can happen this year,” said Zverev. “In tenni,s you need to have a short-term memory, whether it’s good or bad.”
Zverev made short work of Royer, banishing some of the memories of last year when he was dumped out in the first round by another unseeded Frenchman, Arthur Rinderknech.
American sixth seed Taylor Fritz continued his strong recent record at the All England Club, seeing off compatriot Patrick Kypson 6-2, 6-2, 7-5 to reach the third round.
Fritz has made at least the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in three of the past four years and lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the semis 12 months ago.
Fifth-seeded Australian Alex de Minaur also breezed through with a dominant straight-sets victory over French veteran Adrian Mannarino.
Rising Spanish star Rafael Jodar returned to court in a match delayed by darkness on Wednesday, winning the last two sets to complete a comeback victory over Pablo Carreno Busta.
The Wimbledon debutant had never played a Tour-level match on grass before this week, but has flown up the rankings this year and reached the French Open quarterfinals.
Former runner-up Matteo Berrettini defeated French number one Arthur Fils in four sets, while this year’s Roland Garros losing finalist Flavio Cobolli also progressed.
A Mikel Oyarzabal double and another commanding defensive display helped Spain reach the World Cup’s round of 16 on Thursday, putting their rivals on notice with a dominant 3-0 win over Austria.
Spain, who arrived at the tournament among the favorites and have yet to concede a goal, made a slow start with a draw against Cape Verde, but Austria had no answer to their opponents’ relentless attack and impenetrable back line on a sunny day in Southern California.
While Spain’s attack, especially teenage forward Lamine Yamal, gets most of the attention, their defense continues to excel. They did not allow a shot on target on Thursday, the first team to achieve that feat in a World Cup knockout match since Germany in the 2014 final against Argentina.
Spain will face Portugal or Croatia for a place in the quarterfinals. “I don’t know who I’d prefer to play, I haven’t planned for each team,” Oyarzabal said. “Bring them on.”
Relentless pressure
The Spaniards started brightly, with Lamine repeatedly troubling Austria’s defense as La Roja pressed for an early breakthrough.
They thought they had gone ahead from a short-range shot by Marc Cucurella, but the effort was ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.
The pressure finally paid off, though, when Cucurella whipped a precise cross into the area and Oyarzabal steered it into the bottom corner, igniting the Spain-heavy crowd.
Schlager kept Austria in the match before halftime, producing back-to-back saves from a free kick and the ensuing scramble to ensure his side went into the interval trailing by only one. Austria’s best opportunity to equalize came in the second half when a lovely cross into the box was headed by Sasa Kalajdzic, but the ball landed harmlessly on top of the goal.
Austria, who squeaked into the knockout round with a last-gasp goal to draw with Algeria, struggled to create clear chances against a Spain side who remained composed in possession and disciplined at the back to continue their shutout streak.
Pedro Porro added Spain’s second in the 66th minute with a header into the middle of the net in front of a sold-out crowd that included Spanish actors Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. Oyarzabal struck again in the 89th minute for his fourth goal of the tournament following a defensive lapse by a visibly frustrated Austrian side.
Spain, World Cup winners in 2010, looked confident and assured against Austria and will take encouragement from the performance of 18-year-old Lamine, who looked to have shaken off the hamstring injury that had hampered him earlier in the tournament.
Türkiye’s centuries-old tradition of oil wrestling returns Friday as the 665th Historic Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Festival gets underway in Edirne, where 840 wrestlers, including 40 elite head wrestlers, will compete for the sport’s most prestigious title and a chance to make history.
The three-day festival at Sarayiçi Er Meydanı opens with youth divisions taking to the grass before attention gradually shifts to the highly anticipated chief wrestling competition, which begins Saturday and concludes with Sunday’s championship bout.
Wrestlers will compete across 14 weight and age divisions, ranging from youth categories to the coveted head wrestler championship, preserving one of Türkiye’s oldest sporting traditions while showcasing the next generation of competitors.
Cultural ceremonies open the festival
Beyond the wrestling, Friday’s schedule features the ceremonial traditions that have defined Kırkpınar for centuries.
Ufuk Özünlü, who secured this year’s ceremonial agha title after submitting the winning bid of TL 40,664,665 ($871,000), will receive an official welcome from Edirne Mayor Filiz Gencan in Selimiye Square before participants lay a wreath at the Atatürk Monument.
The ceremonies will continue at the Wrestlers Cemetery, where prayers will be offered at the graves of legendary champions Adalı Halil and Kara Emin.
A memorial prayer service will also be held at Edirne’s Old Mosque before the official opening ceremony begins at 6:00 p.m. local time inside Sarayiçi Er Meydanı.
Defending champion Orhan Okulu, winner of the 664th edition, will raise the Turkish flag before the opening parade and official speeches formally launch the festival.
Chief wrestling begins Saturday
The road to this year’s championship starts with preliminary qualification matches Friday, where wrestlers ranked between 25th and 32nd in the national league will face eight additional qualifiers for the final places in the 32-man main draw.
The first round of the chief wrestling tournament begins Saturday at 1:30 p.m. local time.
Sunday’s final day will feature the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship match, along with competitions in the remaining divisions, the traditional agha auction and the closing ceremony.
Golden belt could finally find a new permanent owner
One of this year’s biggest storylines centers on Kırkpınar’s iconic golden belt.
Traditionally, the belt becomes the permanent property of any wrestler who wins the chief wrestling title three consecutive times. No competitor in this year’s field meets that requirement.
However, revised competition regulations introduced this year also allow any wrestler who captures five career Kırkpınar titles, regardless of whether they are consecutive, to permanently claim the belt.
That gives four-time champions Recep Kara and Ali Gürbüz an opportunity to become the first permanent owner of the golden belt since Ahmet Taşçı achieved the feat in 1997.
Rich rewards on the line
The Edirne Municipality has significantly rewarded this year’s competitors.
The chief wrestling champion will earn a prize of TL 1.655 million, while the runner-up will receive TL 750,000. The two losing semifinalists will each collect 380,000 lira.
Prize money will also be awarded across every wrestling division, with the Başaltı champion receiving TL 225,000 and winners in the Büyük Orta, Küçük Orta Büyük and Küçük Orta Küçük divisions earning TL 125,000, TL 82,500 and TL 55,000, respectively.
An additional 16,000-lira prize will recognize the wrestler delivering the festival’s best ceremonial peşrev, the traditional pre-match ritual that honors Kırkpınar’s heritage.
Fans can attend Friday’s opening competitions free of charge.
Tickets for Saturday’s program are priced at TL 1,400 and TL 1,750, depending on seating location, while Sunday’s championship card costs TL 1,750 or TL 2,600.
Kırkpınar traces its origins to the early Ottoman era, when 40 frontier warriors reportedly wrestled during military campaigns in Rumelia to maintain their strength and morale.
Legend says two brothers, Ali and Selim, wrestled for hours without either gaining the upper hand. Both died from exhaustion during the contest and were buried beneath a willow tree. When fellow soldiers later returned, they discovered a spring flowing from the burial site, giving rise to the name “Kırkpınar,” meaning “Forty Springs.”
After the conquest of Edirne, Sultan Murad I established a wrestlers’ lodge, helping transform the city into the permanent home of the annual festival.
Although interrupted during the Russo-Turkish War, the Balkan Wars and World War I, Kırkpınar has endured as one of the world’s oldest continuously celebrated sporting traditions. Since 1946, the festival has been organized by the Edirne Municipality.
The tournament has produced generations of champions, including Ali Gürbüz, İsmail Balaban, Recep Kara, Orhan Okulu and Yusuf Can Zeybek, with Okulu entering this year’s competition as the reigning titleholder after reclaiming the championship in 2025.
Belgium produced the biggest comeback of the World Cup so far, overturning a two-goal deficit to beat Senegal 3-2 with a dramatic penalty deep into extra time Wednesday and book a place in the round of 16.
Senegal looked set for victory after taking a 2-0 lead into the closing stages, but Belgium staged a stunning late rally. Romelu Lukaku pulled one back before Youri Tielemans struck in the dying moments of regulation to force extra time in the round-of-32 clash.
With a penalty shootout just seconds away, Tielemans completed the remarkable turnaround by converting from the spot in the 125th minute, scoring the latest goal in World Cup history.
“Being part of this comeback is a proud moment because I scored the last two goals to give the team the win today,” Tielemans said. “I’m very proud to be able to help the team score goals and get us over the line.”
The decisive moment came after Tielemans was brought down inside the penalty area with only moments remaining. Following a video review, the referee pointed to the spot despite furious protests from Senegal’s players, allowing the Belgian midfielder to seal a memorable victory.
“I do not want to interpret the decision. We all have different interpretations when it comes to awarding a penalty,” Senegal coach Pape Thiaw said. “I’d rather not comment on the referee’s decision.”
The victory marked only the second time in the last 11 World Cups that a team trailing by two or more goals in a knockout-round match recovered to advance. Belgium also did so in a 3-2 victory over Japan in the round of 16 at the 2018 tournament.
“Senegal deserved to win,” Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said. “But I’m happy it was us.”
Many of the key players from Belgium’s team that finished third at the 2018 World Cup in Russia were instrumental in Wednesday’s victory. Lukaku, his country’s all-time leading scorer, came off the bench to get Belgium back into the match with a goal in the 86th minute, setting the stage for Tielemans to force extra time.
“It is a cruel loss because we played well,” Thiaw said. “We had the advantage. We were leading 2-0. However, a football match is not only 85 minutes. Belgium came back, and we were not able to deal with that. We must congratulate Belgium as they progress.”
Belgium is back in the round of 16 for the third time in four World Cups. The team reached the quarterfinals in 2014 and the semifinals in 2018 but failed to advance from the group stage four years ago in Qatar.
The Belgians will next face the United States on Monday in Seattle.
Senegal appeared headed for the round of 16 for much of the match. Habib Diarra scored in the first half, and Ismaïla Sarr made it 2-0 early in the second. It was his fourth goal of the World Cup and one of the tournament’s finest. Sarr controlled a long ball from Moussa Niakhaté with his chest before firing past Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Courtois, playing in his fourth World Cup, then made three crucial saves to keep Senegal from extending its lead.
Senegal defender Krépin Diatta said Belgium should never have been allowed back into the match.
“It shouldn’t have happened. You have to defend your box and be the boss of your box,” he said. “We suffered, but we have to move on. It’s a pity.”
Lukaku said Belgium showed character with its late comeback.
“This Senegal side is one of the best teams in the tournament,” he said. “Technically, physically and tactically, it was really tough. But when we stepped up the intensity of our pressing, won the second balls and showed our team spirit, we won the match.”
Senegal arrived at the World Cup as Africa’s second-highest-ranked team behind Morocco. It won a chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final on Jan. 18 against Morocco, but the result was later overturned by the Confederation of African Football because Thiaw had temporarily pulled his players off the field.
Senegal advanced to the World Cup knockout stage as one of the best third-place finishers after losses to France and Norway and a victory over Iraq.
“It’s the best African nation. It’s as simple as that,” Garcia said. “They showed that even against France they dominated the first half. They came through a difficult group. I would have preferred not to play against them.”
Defending champions Argentina begin the knockout phase of their FIFA World Cup title defense on Friday when they meet tournament debutants Cape Verde in the round of 32 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where Lionel Scaloni’s unbeaten side will look to continue its dominant run against a Blue Sharks team that has already proven it can frustrate the world’s elite.
Argentina have looked every bit the pre-tournament favorites through the group stage, joining co-host Mexico and France as the only teams to win all three of their matches. The Albiceleste have combined attacking efficiency with defensive control, extending a remarkable run that has turned them into one of international football’s modern powerhouses.
The last time Argentina lost a knockout match in any major tournament was seven years ago, when Brazil claimed a 2-0 victory in the 2019 Copa America semifinals in Belo Horizonte. Since then, Scaloni has transformed the national team into a serial winner, guiding Argentina to Copa America titles in 2021 and 2023 before ending a 36-year World Cup drought with the unforgettable triumph in Qatar in 2022.
That winning mentality has carried into North America, where Argentina have stretched their overall knockout winning streak to 10 matches while continuing an equally impressive 10-game winning run across the World Cup and Copa America.
At the heart of that success remains Lionel Messi.
Now 39, the Inter Miami star continues to defy time. He has already scored six goals in the tournament, matching Kylian Mbappe despite playing one fewer game, and has been directly responsible for 75% of Argentina’s eight goals. His influence remains as decisive as ever, with his movement, creativity and finishing continuing to shape the defending champions’ attack.
Messi is expected to return to the starting lineup after beginning the victory over Jordan on the bench. Alexis Mac Allister and Rodrigo De Paul are also set to reclaim their places after being rested, while Cristian Romero appears to have recovered from the knee scare he suffered against Austria and is expected to replace Nicolas Otamendi in central defense.
Although Messi has carried much of the scoring burden, Argentina will also expect greater contributions from Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez, whose combined international tally stands at 52 goals. Midfielder Enzo Fernandez will likewise be tasked with providing his trademark late runs into the penalty area as the matches become increasingly demanding.
Cape Verde, meanwhile, arrive with nothing to lose and plenty already accomplished.
One of four nations making its World Cup debut alongside Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan, the Blue Sharks are the only newcomers to survive the group stage, writing one of the tournament’s most memorable stories.
Their success has been built not on attacking flair but on outstanding defensive organization.
Bubista’s side announced itself by holding Spain scoreless in its first-ever World Cup match, with goalkeeper Vozinha producing a standout performance. Cape Verde then battled back from behind to earn a dramatic 2-2 draw against Uruguay after surrendering an early lead before finishing the group stage with another disciplined goalless draw against Saudi Arabia.
Those performances produced two clean sheets in three matches and demonstrated the tactical discipline that has made Cape Verde one of the tournament’s toughest teams to break down.
The Blue Sharks enter the knockout stage as the lowest-scoring team remaining, but their compact defensive structure and willingness to absorb pressure make them dangerous opponents capable of frustrating even the world’s best sides.
Repeating the defensive display that neutralized Spain will be essential against Argentina’s star-studded attack. Bubista knows his players will spend long stretches without possession, but the coach has built his team’s historic campaign on resilience, discipline and belief.
Cape Verde also received encouraging injury news before the knockout rounds. Midfielders Jamiro Monteiro and Kevin Lenini recovered after injury concerns ahead of the final group match, while only Telmo Arcanjo remains unavailable with a muscle problem.
Goals, however, remain a concern.
Dailon Rocha Livramento, who scored four times during qualifying, has yet to find the net at the finals, leaving veteran Ryan Mendes, the nation’s all-time leading scorer with 22 international goals, and Garry Rodrigues, who has 10, to provide much of the attacking inspiration.
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