Erling Haaland scored a dramatic late winner as Norway defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 on Tuesday to book their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, where they will face Brazil.

Haaland struck in the 86th minute to seal Norway’s victory at Dallas Stadium, taking his tally to five goals at the tournament after Antonio Nusa had given the Scandinavians the lead before Amad Diallo equalised for Ivory Coast.

Ivory Coast made the brighter start, with Nicolas Pépé and Ghislain Konan both testing the Norwegian defence during an energetic opening spell. Yan Diomande also created an opportunity for Pépé, but the winger was unable to convert.

The victory sets up an intriguing Round of 16 clash with five-time world champions Brazil in New York on Sunday, while Ivory Coast exit the tournament after a spirited knockout performance.

France, and Mexico advance as World Cup Round of 16 takes shape

In two other Round of 32 matches, France and Mexico also secured places in the last 16 after impressive knockout victories.

France produced one of the standout performances of the tournament with a commanding 3-0 victory over Sweden at MetLife Stadium. 

Kylian Mbappé starred with two goals, while Bradley Barcola also found the net as Les Bleus dominated from start to finish to book their place in the next round. 

France will now face Paraguay, who stunned Germany on penalties a day earlier, in a highly anticipated Round of 16 clash.

Mexico also delighted home supporters with a 2-0 victory over Ecuador at Estadio Banorte in Mexico City to keep their World Cup dream alive. 

The hosts controlled much of the contest and sealed their place in the Round of 16, where they will meet the winner of Wednesday’s clash between England and DR Congo.

With Canada, Paraguay, Morocco, Brazil, Norway, France and Mexico already through, attention now turns to Wednesday’s Round of 32 fixtures. England face DR Congo, Belgium take on Senegal, and the United States meet Bosnia and Herzegovina as the race for the remaining places in the last 16 continues.

Fans across Afghanistan can tune in to Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) to watch the matches live and exclusively across the country. Viewers are also encouraged to follow Ariana Television and Ariana News’ social media pages for the latest schedules and updates.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has warned that humanitarian funding for some of the world’s most neglected displacement crises has fallen to critically low levels in 2026, leaving millions of vulnerable people increasingly abandoned.

The organization says that halfway through 2026, only 30 percent of the funding required to support 143 million people out of 252 million in need globally has been received.

NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland described 2026 as a “make-or-break year” for millions affected by conflict in countries including Venezuela and Sudan, warning that continued funding cuts could lead to “a massive loss of lives.”

He said global assistance is declining at a time when violence, displacement, and inflation continue to rise, and stressed that humanitarian funding must be allocated based on need rather than geopolitical or national interests.

The report highlights that Afghanistan is among the worst affected and has been included for the first time on NRC’s list of the world’s most neglected crises, with humanitarian response plans currently only 11 percent funded.

NRC said the decline in funding comes as 21.9 million people in Afghanistan require assistance, while millions more are returning from neighboring countries.

Egeland warned that without a dramatic increase in support, millions of families in Afghanistan and other crisis-hit regions risk facing deeper hunger, displacement, and loss of basic services, urging donors to act before it is too late.

Afghanistan’s Minister of Information and Culture, Shar Ahmad Haqqani, said on Wednesday that Afghans are not intimidated by external pressure or military attacks, arguing that the country has already prevailed against opponents with superior weapons and technology.

Speaking at a seminar on intellectual, ideological and professional capacity building for journalists, Haqqani said Afghanistan had endured years of conflict and would not be deterred by threats.

“To those who killed our children in their sleep through cruel bombings, it must be said that we do not fear bombings and hardships. We defeated those who were more equipped than you in modern technology and weapons,” he said.

Haqqani added that the Afghan people remain steadfast despite ongoing challenges.

“We are neither afraid nor defeated,” he said.

The remarks were delivered during a training seminar for journalists focused on strengthening intellectual, ideological and professional capacity within Afghanistan’s media sector.