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The USMNT take on Bosnia and Herzegovina at Levi's Stadium with a spot in the last 16 on the line.

The stat hanging over this one: no knockout-stage win since 2002. That's over two decades of coming up short when it matters most. Home World Cup, home crowd - if there's ever a time to break the curse, it's now.

Win and they're through. Lose and it's a brutal early exit on home soil.

Are we finally getting past that 2002 ghost, or is this another heartbreak waiting to happen?

France are through, and their captain made sure of it in style. Kylian Mbappé bagged a brace against Sweden - his third brace of this tournament already - to power Les Bleus past a stubborn Sweden side.

But this wasn't just another two goals. Those strikes were Mbappé's 9th and 10th career World Cup knockout-stage goals - a new record across the last three tournaments. The man is built for the big rounds.

It also pulls him level with Messi at the top of the Golden Boot race (6 apiece), setting up what's shaping into one of the great top-scorer duels.

The second goal in particular was a thing of beauty - a brilliant Olise assist finished off with the kind of composure you'd expect from a two-time finalist.

Folks, if you missed it - we've got the best fairytale of the tournament unfolding right now.

Cape Verde. A cluster of islands in the Atlantic with a population under half a million. World Cup debutants. And they just made it out of the group, snatching a point off Saudi Arabia (0-0) to become the smallest country by population EVER to reach the knockout stage of a men's World Cup.

And guess who's waiting for them in the Round of 32? Argentina. Lionel Messi.

Let that sink in: a nation that was a complete nobody on the football map 30 years ago is going up against the reigning world champions and the greatest player in history. Hollywood screenwriters would've been too embarrassed to pitch this.

The bookies have already buried the islanders. But we all know the World Cup exists precisely to shred every prediction. 🇨🇻

Do you give Cape Verde even a theoretical shot against Messi, or is this a lovely but short-lived fairytale? And who's YOUR Cinderella story of this tournament - anyone topping this run? 👇

We've got a real game on our hands. Japan lead the five-time world champions 1-0 going into the second half, and it's set up as one of the more compelling knockout ties of the tournament so far.

The goal came from Kaishu Sano in the 29th minute - a well-taken low finish, and remarkably his first senior goal for the national team. Big moment for a young player.

What makes this one interesting tactically: Brazil have controlled possession (80%+) and are clearly the side pushing, but Japan have defended in a disciplined, compact block and made the most of their chance. It's the classic dominance-vs-efficiency matchup, and right now it's finely poised. With names like Vinícius, Cunha and Neymar still to make their mark, there's every chance Brazil swing this back - and 45 minutes is a long time.

Worth noting these two met in Tokyo back in October, where Japan came back to win 3-2. So there's recent history here too.

Genuinely curious where the room lands on this one: Does Brazil's pressure tell in the second half, or does Japan see it out? Either way it's shaping up to be a great watch. Drop your predictions for the final score!

Norway vs France has way more juice than a normal group-stage game.

Both are already through, but first place is still open. France only need a draw. Norway need the win. That alone changes everything.

France have looked calm and ruthless so far: two wins, six goals, Mbappé already in Golden Boot mode. But Norway are not here for a cute comeback story. First World Cup since 1998, two wins, seven goals, Haaland on four already, and Ødegaard feeding him like this team belongs on this stage.

That’s the whole fight.

France have the pedigree, depth and control. Norway have the chaos button. One ball into Haaland and the group can flip.

There are different ways to define World Cup greatness, and Messi and Mbappé might end up representing two very different versions of it.

Messi’s World Cup legacy is already complete in a way very few players ever get. The long wait, the criticism, the near-misses, the 2014 final, and then finally 2022 - the trophy, the performances, the emotion, the ending. It wasn’t just about numbers. It was the kind of tournament that changed how an entire career was remembered.

That’s why his World Cup story feels almost impossible to recreate. It had history, pressure, timing, and a perfect final chapter.

Mbappé’s path looks different, but it’s becoming just as fascinating in its own way. He isn’t chasing the same type of story. He might be building something more statistical, more ruthless, more record-based. He’s already won the World Cup, scored in two finals, produced a hat-trick in the 2022 final, and now he’s getting extremely close to the top of the all-time scoring list.

After his goals against Iraq, Mbappé moved to 16 World Cup goals, level with Miroslav Klose and only two behind Messi’s 18. The wild part is that he’s still only 27 and this is only his third World Cup. For most players, 16 World Cup goals would be a full career miracle. For Mbappé, it feels like he might still be in the middle of the climb.

That’s what makes this so interesting. Messi’s World Cup legacy is built around completion and emotion. Mbappé’s could be built around longevity at the very top of the tournament, huge knockout moments, and eventually the numbers no one else can touch.

And this doesn’t take anything away from Messi. If anything, it shows how rare it is to have two players from different generations overlapping at this level. Messi gave football one of the greatest World Cup arcs ever. Mbappé might now be giving us the next question: what happens when a player starts collecting World Cup goals this fast?

If he breaks the record during this tournament, the debate becomes very different. Not because it erases anyone else’s legacy, but because it would put Mbappé in a category that is almost impossible to ignore. A World Cup winner, a multiple-final scorer, a Golden Boot-level forward, and potentially the all-time top scorer before even turning 30.

So maybe the better question isn’t “who has the better World Cup legacy?” Maybe it’s this:

Are we watching Messi close one of the greatest World Cup stories ever, while Mbappé starts building the most dominant World Cup résumé by a forward?

Brazil beat Scotland 3-0 and finished top of Group C, but the most powerful moment of the night wasn’t on the scoreboard.

Neymar finally played for Brazil again after 981 days away from the national team. He came on in the 76th minute, heard the stadium erupt, and after the match admitted he broke down in tears alone in the dressing room.

After the injuries, the doubts, the criticism, and almost three years away from this shirt, that reaction says everything. Whatever you think about Neymar’s legacy, very few players can make a comeback feel this emotional.

Football is better when Neymar is part of the story.

Source:
https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/neymar-sheds-tears-dressing-room-after-emotional-brazil-comeback-2026-06-25/