There have been lots of big moments in the 2026 World Cup, and as we enter the ladder games of the second round of knockouts, the stakes and intensity surrounding every whistle, goal, or decision made on or off the field will be under at least some scrutiny.
Whether it be a red card overturned, a penalty not given, or a goal taken away or allowed to stand – these moments have started to shape the way people are viewing the tournament as a whole.
I’m going to take some of these moments, whether they be games, moments, or decisions, and if these moments are as big as they are being made out to be. Again, these are all in my opinion and my perspective.
Big Deal: Balogun’s Overturned Red
Obviously, the biggest and most pressing news from this week is that of U.S. striker Florian Balogun’s overturned red card, making him available for the clash against Belgium. The original red card was scrutinized enough, but the addition and rarity of overturning it has led to many more prominent figures voicing their disapproval.
With reports of President Donald Trump’s calls to FIFA, many powerful bodies like UEFA and Belgium have released statements against the decision. Even the Norwegian Head Coach, Ståle Solbakken, also condemned the ruling.
The fact of the matter is, we won’t know until game time the actual impact Balogun makes, but if I had to guess, it would be a sizeable one. No player or team has seen as quite a favorable decision as this in a World Cup in a while.
One big comparison would be Ronaldo, who suffered a red card in the qualifiers, but had his suspension suspended. While that is a like-for-like comparison, it was nowhere near as detrimental as it is in the round of 16. If Belgium is to face defeat to the U.S., then you will for sure see many continuous reports and legal proceedings from them.
Not a big deal: France’s Feisty Fight vs Paraguay
Anyone with two eyes could see Paraguay’s strategy to take on France involved heavy physicality. From tough tackles to late hits to a few trailing legs and arms, Paraguay made sure that the French felt their mark.
Nonetheless, France still earned a rightful penalty, which was dispatched by Kylian Mbappe and gave Les Bleus the win. The story after was the lack of protection from the referee. In fact, France had three yellow cards in the game while Paraguay had none. But there were also, arguably, no dirty hits, no injuries, and no VAR reviews for red cards.
The fact of the matter is that is the ingredients of an underdog team. Sometimes when you can’t beat talent or tactics, you have to beat the men themselves. It’s something fairly common in American sports, and still, the talent walked away the victors.
While France may walk away with some bumps and bruises, Mbappe’s post-match antics with excessive celebrations, lack of handshakes, and vulgar tell-offs of his opposition were a reaction deemed a bit excessive by many.
Big Deal: England Survives Mexico
England’s 3-2 win over Mexico in Mexico will go down as an instant classic. The game had it all: goals, red cards, penalties, shots, and the fan atmosphere. The three lions, who played a majority of the second half with only 10 men, managed to survive Mexico’s hostile environment and brave play to walk into the quarter-finals.
While it sounds simple, the task was far easier said than done. Mexico had only lost 2 games in the Estadio Azteca in 89 competitive matches. On top of that, Mexico was one of two teams left in the World Cup who had not conceded a goal thus far.
England would shatter both those feats last night in front of a crowd of 80,824 fans, largely dominated by fans of El Tri. The referee decisions also weren’t kind to England, as the red and white faced a controversial red card and penalty against them. All this to be said, the fact that England still walked out winners is a sign that the Three Lions could really be built to win this tournament.
Big performances from the likes of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham make this English team unlike their predecessors, and if they can keep it up against a surging team like Norway, then there’s no telling what the limit will be for them.
Not a big deal: Portugal and Brazil’s doorsteps of defeat
Five-time champion Brazil faced defeat to pre-tournament dark horse Norway last night, and Portugal now faces an uphill task against European champions Spain later today. If Portugal falls, two of the most recognizable faces in soccer will be done in the World Cup (Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo).
While it is sad, this should not be surprising. Both were favored highly before the tournament started, something I, personally, did not agree with, but even with performances in the group stage, these “early” exits shouldn’t come out of nowhere. Whether it be poor management or performances from players, both these teams have not looked like the teams of their countries’ past. Team who helped shape the winning culture that surrounds discussions about them today.
Brazil’s aged core just couldn’t keep up with Norway’s exciting transition and youthful brilliance from Erling Haaland, Oscar Bobb, Nusa, and more. And the likes of Pedri, Cubarsi, Gavi, Olmo, Oyarzabal, and especially Lamine Yamal could prove a young, but nonetheless tall task for Portugal to overcome.
I was a fan of Portugal coming into the tournament, but Ronaldo’s stagnant displays, the lack of creativity from Bruno Fernandes, and the dismal displays in midfield from back-to-back Champions League winners Joao Neves and Vitinha have cooled me on the red and green of Portugal, and I’m predicting another Spain win pretty comfortably.
Bonus Big Deal: Dark Horses are Dark Horsing
Due to the ever-evolving tactics in soccer, ones which are too complicated to break down to even the most knowledgeable about the sport, many thought that this would be the most open World Cup we’ve seen. With the higher amount of teams and increased importance of set-pieces and unusual environment compared to normal playing settings, there were a few dark horses who climbed up the betting odds charts both before and early in the tournament.
Now, as we sit here halfway through the round of 16, a few of those teams have already punched their tickets into the quarter-finals, and some have yet to play.
The U.S. was one of those, and is about to face its biggest test yet against Belgium tonight. Morocco has been as excellent as they were in 2022 and in AFCON, and now will face their biggest test against arguably the favorites in France.
Norway has been exceptional, beating a tough Ivory Coast team before taking down Brazil. Led by Haaland, who scored both goals against Brazil, and with great supporting characters like Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard, RB Leipzig’s Antonio Nusa, and former Manchester City youngster Oscar Bobb, the Norwegians look like a tough task for anyone, including quarter-final opponent England.
Also, Egypt, Colombia, and Switzerland have all made runs into this point, with the Swiss and Colombians meeting tomorrow before facing the winner of Egypt and Argentina.
Complete teams seem to be the name of the game so far, whether you were predicted to be or not. The dynamics from top to bottom were something stressed by Managers heading into the tournament, and we, as fans, have not been let down so far.
