World Cup quarterfinals see upsets and injuries as top-ranked teams stumble
Several pre-tournament favorites, including England, Brazil and Portugal, were eliminated or faced setbacks in the knockout stage, while lower-ranked sides such as Norway and Morocco advanced.
England entered the quarter-final against Norway with a two-game suspension for defender Jarell Quansah and injury worries surrounding Marc Guehi, Declan Rice and Reece James. Despite Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane scoring, England held a 1-0 lead after Quansah’s dismissal before Norway equalised.
Norway, ranked 21st, reached its first World Cup quarter-final thanks to Erling Haaland’s double against Brazil and strong performances from goalkeeper Orjan Nyland and midfielder Martin Odegaard.
Switzerland, sitting at 15th in the FIFA rankings, progressed to the quarter-finals after winning a penalty shootout against Colombia, despite missing forward Johan Manzambi through injury.
Belgium, the ninth-ranked side, fought back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Senegal in extra time and later defeated the United States, but injuries to key players such as Youri Tielemans and Thibaut Courtois hampered their quarter-final against Spain.
Morocco became the first African nation to reach two consecutive World Cup quarter-finals, beating the Netherlands on penalties before losing to France, a match in which the absence of striker Ismael Saibari was felt.
Paraguay’s surprise win over Germany in the round of 32 was followed by a 4-1 loss to France, while Mexico suffered its first defeat at the Azteca Stadium, falling 2-0 to England after Jude Bellingham’s quick brace.
Brazil, the five-time champion now ranked fifth, were eliminated by Norway in the round of 16, with Neymar’s late appearance ending in a penalty shootout loss.
Portugal’s campaign ended with a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan but a narrow victory over Spain that saw Cristiano Ronaldo score his first knockout-stage goal in a World Cup.
The Netherlands, ranked seventh, topped their group but were knocked out by Morocco after missing three of five penalties in the shootout, prompting coach Ronald Koeman’s resignation.
Germany, 12th in the rankings, were eliminated by Paraguay in a penalty shootout after a controversial disallowed goal, leading to head coach Julian Nagelsmann’s departure.
Japan’s spirited play was halted by Brazil, who advanced after a late goal, while Senegal’s late penalty loss to Belgium ended their tournament despite a strong showing.
Several other teams, including Egypt, Canada, Cape Verde and Croatia, exited the competition after varied performances, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the World Cup knockout stage.