France and Mexico Advance to World Cup Round of 16

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The national teams of France and Mexico earned victories in their 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 32 matches to advance to the next round of the tournament.

The French team defeated Sweden 3-0 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. Kylian Mbappe scored a brace, finding the net in the 45th and 74th minutes, while Bradley Barcola scored another goal in the 53rd minute.

Mbappe's second goal marked his 18th career World Cup goal. This puts him in second place all-time, trailing only Lionel Messi, who has scored 19 goals. In the current tournament, both players have scored six goals each and share the lead in the top scorer standings.

In the round of 16, France will face Paraguay, who defeated Germany in a penalty shootout following a -1 draw after regular and extra time. The match is scheduled to take place in Philadelphia on 5 July 2026.

Mexico won its round of 32 match on home soil in Mexico City, defeating Ecuador 2-0. Julian Quinones scored in the 22nd minute, and Raul Jimenez added the second goal in the 31st minute.

Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie was sent off after receiving a red card in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time.

Lokomotiv Moscow defender Cesar Montes captained the Mexican team and played the full 90 minutes. Dynamo Moscow midfielder Luis Chavez remained on the substitutes' bench.

The kickoff of the match had been delayed by one hour due to a thunderstorm.

In the round of 16, Mexico will play the winner of the match between England and DR Congo. The game will be held in Mexico City on 6 July 2026.

The victory allowed the Mexican national team to progress past the first knockout round of a World Cup for the first time since 1986. That tournament was also hosted by Mexico, where the home team reached the quarterfinals.

The World Cup is being hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. For the first time in history, 48 national teams are participating in the final stage of the tournament. The tournament concludes on 19 July 2026. Argentina enters the competition as the defending world champions.