World Cup 2026 will be remembered for groundbreaking changes and unforgettable moments.

From the addition of two hydration breaks, to expanding the tournament from 32 to 48 countries, to VAR reviews, highly questionable non-reviews, and even the unprecedented revoking of an American red card after a discussion between presidents, this World Cup has already delivered plenty of talking points.

By including 16 more countries, the tournament also created some of its best stories. Tiny island nation Cape Verde, also known as Cabo Verde and the Blue Sharks, nearly dethroned the great Lionel Messi and defending champion Argentina. We also saw a record nine African nations advance into the knockout stages, showing just how much the global game continues to grow.

It also became the first World Cup where three nations co-hosted the tournament, and the first World Cup where all three co-host nations exited in the Round of 16.

Co-host Canada lost 3-0 in convincing fashion to Morocco. Co-host and mistake-prone Team USA was thoroughly schooled 4-1 by Belgium. Co-host Mexico could not beat red-carded England, even though the Three Lions were playing a man down for most of the second half, with El Tri losing 3-2 inside the rabid yet friendly confines of Estadio Azteca.

On paper, Mbappé and France looked like they had a tough game, but in reality, Paraguay was not fully up to the task, even though they gave it their best. It was not the cleanest of games, but it certainly made Cup favorite France tougher and stronger as they move on to play a very stellar, patient, and skilled Moroccan team in the quarterfinals.

Argentina continues to get all the breaks it needs in this tournament, at least according to Egyptian, Austrian, and Algerian fans. Still, Argentina also demonstrated resilience and strength by coming back from a two-goal deficit to eliminate Salah and Egypt late in the game by a final score of 3-2.

Most fans anticipated Argentina would eventually face a tough opponent in the quarterfinals, expecting their South American rival Colombia. But equally matched Switzerland had other plans, defeating Luis Díaz, James Rodríguez, and Colombia in penalties, 4-3, after 120-plus minutes of a scoreless draw. The Swiss now earn the right to take on Messi and company in the quarterfinal round of soccer’s Elite Eight.

The Round of 16 would not be complete without an upset, or better yet, a Cinderella-like Viking story. That came when fan favorite Norway beat mighty Brazil 2-1 to advance and take on England in Miami this coming Saturday in the quarterfinals.

The iconic “Viking Row” keeps going and getting louder as hopes continue to grow across the Norwegian soccer world.

The great match of all almost does not seem fair, considering it took place in the Round of 16. Spain defeated Portugal 1-0, eliminating any chance for the great Cristiano Ronaldo to claim the Cup for Portugal.

Two highly ranked top-10 teams did not plan on meeting so early in the tournament, but that can be blamed on Portugal for finishing as runner-up in Group K rather than being the predicted group winner. It was a sad goodbye for some great players who can only look back and wonder what could have been.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modrić, Salah, Raúl Jiménez, Memo Ochoa, and others bid a sorry goodbye to their unfulfilled World Cup playing careers. However, they leave behind great memories for fans across the world to cherish.

Moving on and looking ahead, there are only eight matches remaining: four quarterfinals, two semifinals, the third-place match, and the World Cup 2026 Final.

Everything kicks off Thursday with what could easily be a Finals-like game between Morocco and France.

Morocco is red hot and reached the semifinals at the last World Cup in Qatar. France was a finalist in that same tournament and is focused on reclaiming the title after losing to Messi and Argentina.