The Round of 32 wrapped up on July 2 with a little bit of everything: a ruthless Spanish masterclass, a stoppage-time Portuguese escape act, and a slice of history for Switzerland. By the time the dust settled, the Round of 16 picture was almost complete.
Spain Cruise, Stay Unbeaten
Spain barely broke a sweat at SoFi Stadium, brushing aside Austria 3-0 behind a brace from Mikel Oyarzabal, who bookended the win with a first-half strike and a late finish either side of a Pedro Porro goal in between. Marc Cucurella also had a goal chalked off for a foul on the Austria goalkeeper, underlining just how one-sided the afternoon was. Sasa Kalajdzic came closest to a consolation for Austria, heading narrowly over late on, but there was little else to trouble Unai Simon's goal. The win extended Spain's unbeaten run to 34 consecutive competitive internationals, and Oyarzabal, named the game's standout performer, was typically understated afterwards: "I'm happy to help the team and get through to the next round." Head coach Luis de la Fuente was similarly measured, noting his side "were almost perfect in every aspect, but there are still things to improve" - a warning shot for whoever comes next.
Ronaldo's Penalty and Ramos's Late Winner Sink Croatia
Portugal's route through was a far more nervy affair. Croatia struck first through Ivan Perisic and led at the interval, putting Portugal's tournament in real jeopardy. Cristiano Ronaldo dragged his side level from the penalty spot in the second half, after a VAR review overturned an offside call against him - the first knockout-stage goal of his long World Cup career. With the tie delicately balanced, it was substitute Goncalo Ramos who settled it deep into stoppage time, finishing off a Rafael Leao assist to send Portugal through 2-1. Croatia thought they had snatched a dramatic equalizer of their own in the closing seconds, only for a deflected effort to be ruled out by VAR for offside, ending their World Cup campaign in the cruelest possible fashion. It was a fittingly dramatic way for a fine Croatia run to end, and a reminder that Ronaldo, even at this stage of his career, still has the knack for the biggest moments.
Switzerland End an 88-Year Wait
There was history at BC Place too, where Switzerland beat Algeria 2-0 to reach the Round of 16 for the first time in 88 years, snapping a run of seven straight knockout-stage eliminations along the way. Breel Embolo opened the scoring inside the first ten minutes, finishing off a driving solo run from teenager Johan Manzambi, who continued his breakout tournament and was reported to have become the youngest player since 1966 to be involved in five World Cup goals. Dan Ndoye doubled the lead within seconds of the second-half restart to put the game to bed early, and while Fabian Rieder somehow missed an open goal late on, it did nothing to dampen the celebrations. Algeria's talisman Riyad Mahrez was kept quiet throughout by a well-drilled Swiss defense, and their tournament now comes to an end.
Looking Ahead
The bracket is filling in fast. Spain will renew acquaintances with Portugal in the Round of 16 in what looks like one of the standout ties of the round, while Switzerland await the winner of Colombia and Ghana for a shot at their own piece of history. After a day like this, nobody left in the competition will be feeling entirely comfortable.