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Mexico’s World Cup run ends in heartbreaking loss to England
Jude Bellingham scored two goals 98 seconds apart, Harry Kane converted a penalty when England was down to 10 men, and the Three Lions handed Mexico its first World Cup loss at Estadio Azteca, a wild 3-2 victory on Sunday night to reach the quarterfinals.
England scores two goals in a two-minute span and overcomes a relentless Mexico attack after going down a player in a 3-2 World Cup round-of-16 win.
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Finally, Mexico’s soccer fans get respect in Southern California
For my entire adult life, I’ve looked on in disturbed bemusement as too many Southern Californians freaked out every time Mexican Americans expressed love for their ancestral and natal love through soccer.
I laughed as local media couldn’t understand why so many of them booed when then-California Gov. Pete Wilson inaugurated the first match of the 1994 World Cup at the Rose Bowl, a year where he rode anti-immigrant sentiment to reelection. I shook my head in 1998 after 91,000 fans booed the U.S. soccer squad in a Gold Cup match at the Coliseum that Mexico won 1-0, and all U.S. star Alexi Lalas could pull from that was that Latinos were treasonous ingrates.
“I would never be caught dead cheering for any other team than the United States because I know what it’s given me,” he told The Times after the game.
The anger and befuddlement was reflective of an era where demographics were changing in Southern California and longtimers didn’t like it one bit. It also emerged at a time when U.S. Soccer was finally establishing a respectable team — and realizing that no matter how great a squad and tradition it could establish, it would never eclipse the love diasporas have for their heritage soccer squads.
Lalas is now the boorish American face of Fox Sports’ not-bad World Cup coverage. I don’t care enough for him to know if his attitude has evolved nearly 30 years after his pendejo words — but Southern California definitely has. And how the media has covered Southern California’s reaction to Mexico’s thrilling Mundial run proves it.
Instead of treating all the watch parties and spontaneous after-match celebrations across Southern California as anti-American affronts, reporters are covering it as not just a natural response but a righteous one a year after continual ICE raids left most of Latino areas empty. Television stations that dispatch helicopters over joyous scenes in Santa Ana, Huntington Park, East Los Angeles and so many other places across the Southland are treating the celebrations like they would a Lakers or Dodgers championship instead of something foreign.
Instead of writing pieces having to explain why so many Mexican Americans are rooting for El Tri, Latino reporters are getting into the intricacies of the fandom — explainers on Merlin (the duck who has emerged as Mexico’s unofficial mascot) and the significance of the slogan ‘¿Y si sí?’ (“And what if we can?”) and listicles on where the best watch parties are. People can wear La Verde — the nickname now affixed to Mexico’s soccer jersey — without drawing a second glance or politicians railing about it.
Why, even this viejo columnista — who will never forget all the hate mail he received during the 2002 World Cup for writing a columna for the late, great Pacific News Service about why he was rooting for Mexico — was able to write about finally trying to memorize Mexico’s national anthem in his day job.
All of this is another important milestone in a Southern California that truly embraces all of its diversity at all times — yay us!
Media coverage can, of course, switch toward the negative the moment those celebrations turn too crazy, like when Huntington Park police arrested 31 fans in 1998 after Mexico advanced to the knockout phase of that summer’s World Cup. But the desmadre so far has been mostly incident-free. Let’s see what happens after tonight’s England-Mexico match.
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Norway defeats Brazil in round-of-16 stunner at World Cup
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Erling Haaland headed in the go-ahead goal in the 80th minute and scored again before the end of regulation time, carrying Norway into the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time with a 2-1 victory over Brazil on Sunday that showcased the towering striker on soccer’s biggest stage.
After being a nonfactor for much of the afternoon and having limited touches, Haaland turned it on when it mattered most, getting the right side of his head on the ball after a perfect setup by Andreas Schjelderup, who entered at halftime. Schjelderup jumped on Haaland’s back to celebrate the 6-foot-5 striker scoring his sixth goal at the World Cup and did so again after assisting on his seventh, tying Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé of France for the most in the tournament.
Haaland extended his streak of scoring to 14 consecutive competitive matches internationally. He has 27 in that stretch and 62 in 54 with Norway.
At the other end, goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland was stellar. He made a crucial stop early, diving to his left to deny Bruno Guimarães’ penalty kick in the 14th minute, then got his left hand on a shot by Endrick late when Norway was hanging on to a one-goal lead.
The only goal Nyland allowed was to Neymar on a penalty kick late in stoppage time, which changed just the final score.
Nyland, who at 35 is his team’s oldest player, was a huge factor in a historic victory that ranks among the most significant in the country’s history — at least on the men’s side. Norway’s women’s team won the World Cup in 1995, but the men have only qualified four times and not since 1998. They had not gone further than the round of 16.
Norway next faces the winner of the Mexico-England round-of-16 game on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Guimarães became the first Brazil player not to score on a World Cup penalty kick since Zico in 1986. The decision to have him take it instead of star Vinícius Júnior brought immediate second-guessing and may be questioned and criticized for quite some time.
There were plenty of other missed opportunities, including Casemiro missing Neymar on a crossing attempt on what could have been the tying goal.
Brazil goes home having massively underachieved expectations set pretty much at win or bust for the five-time World Cup champions. The global powerhouse had its streak of quarterfinal appearances at the tournament end at eight, losing before that stage for the first time since 1990.
It was Brazil’s seventh consecutive loss to European opponents at the World Cup, dating to beating Germany in the 2002 final. The absence of injured midfielder Lucas Paquetá did not help, even though Gabriel Martinelli showed off his speed at times after being coach Carlo Ancelotti’s choice to go into the starting lineup.
Norway got defender Julian Ryerson back from his injury that sidelined him the past two games, and coach Ståle Solbakken was rewarded for making the changes at halftime by Schjelderup setting up each of Haaland’s goals.
Those moves played a role in the upset, though this one was not nearly as massive as the group stage in 1998. Norway showed how much it had evolved as a soccer nation since then, with knocking off Brazil the latest step in that process.
Yellow-clad Seleção fans outnumbered those in Norway red, many of whom did the now-famous Viking Row in the stands — with Brazil supporters even cheering it before kickoff. Brazil’s fans were stunned silent when it returned after the game.
Also in the sellout crowd of 80,663 were rapper Jay-Z, comedian Chris Rock, actor Woody Harrelson, actress Sofía Vergara and basketball player Jalen Brunson of the NBA-champion New York Knicks, who elicited a healthy roar when he was shown on video screens.
Whyno writes for the Associated Press.
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Erling Haaland scores again in shocker against Brazil
Norway 2, Brazil 0 — 90th minute
Norway’s Erling Haaland scored on a spectacular shot from just outside the box, finding the lower right corner of the goal past Brazil’s Alisson Becker to all but eliminate Brazil from the World Cup.
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Erling Haaland scores to give Norway lead over Brazil
Norway 1, Brazil 0 — 79th minute
Norway star Eerling Haaland scored off a header on a perfect cross pass from Andreas Schjelderup, getting in front of a Brazil defender to redirect the ball for a stunning goal.
The goal extended Haaland’s scoring streak to 14 consecutive international matches for Norway.
Norway has dominated at possession and has played with more energy against a Brazil team that had seemed determined just to play off any chances Norway gave it.
With its World Cup at stake, Brazil will have to turn up the urgency.
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Brazil and Norway scoreless at halftime
Brazil 0, Norway 0 — Halftime
Norway’s best scoring chance came in stoppage time when Martin Odegaard managed to get clear from Brazilian defenders in the box to tee up a shot. But Brazil goalkeeper Alisson Becker came out to cut down the shot angle and made a huge save for Brazil.
Brazil had seven shots, with two on goal in the first half. Norway, which controlled the ball for 65% of the half, had four shots, with two on goal. Brazil’s Bruno Guimarães missed a penalty kick in the 14th minute.
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Brazil can’t capitalize on Norway turnover
Brazil 0, Norway 0 — 45th minute
Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland made a big save on a shot from Vinícius Júnior in the 40th minute after a Norway turnover in the box led to the scoring opportunity.
Three minutes earlier, Norway’s Erling Haaland got a foot on a shot in an attempt to redirect the ball into the goal, but Brazil goalkeeper Alisson Becker was in position to make the save.
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Norway dominating possession, but Brazil has had more chances
Brazil 0, Norway 0 — 29th minute
Brazil is playing a patient game as it looks to capitalize on potential Norway mistakes. One of those came in the 24th minute when Matheus Cunha managed to break into into the box on a rush before Torbjoern Heggem knocked him off the ball.
Whether Brazil can bait Norway into another foul in the box remains to be seen, but it has the game’s only shot on goal so far. Norway has controlled the ball for 73% of the match so far.
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Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland denies Brazil on penalty kick
Brazil 0, Norway 0 — 16th minute
Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland made a diving save on a penalty kick from Brazil’s Bruno Guimaraes in the 14th minute to keep the score tied early in the first half.
Norway’s Kristoffer Ajer fouled Brazil’s Matheus Cunha in the box, leading to the penalty kick. But Nyland correctly predicted which side Guimaraes would kick in a huge break for Norway.
The foul on Ajer was not called on the field, but confirmed via VAR.
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Brazil vs. Norway underway at the World Cup
Five-time World Cup champion Brazil, ranked No. 6 in the world, enters its showdown with No. 31 Norway coming off a 2-1 win over Japan that kept its 60-year streak of round-of-16 berths alive.
Norway, playing in its first World Cup in decades, has gotten five goals from team captain Erling Haaland. Norway beat Ivory Coast in the round of 32 for its first knockout-round win ever.
Despite being the heavy favorites, Brazil hasn’t beaten a European team in the knockout stage of a World Cup since its last title in 2002.
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Arellano: The joy of Mexico’s World Cup soccer triumph in the Trump era
Brenda Jaimes pushed her way through an ecstatic crowd in downtown Santa Ana Thursday night, stopping in the middle of Fourth Street and calling attention to herself by shouting, “Me! Me!”
An hour earlier, Mexico beat South Korea 1-0 in the World Cup. Jaimes, a 22-year-old Santa Ana resident, was one of thousands of people who crowded into the neighborhood’s many bars and restaurants to watch the thrilling victory then spilled onto the streets to party.
Fans blew horns and spun noisemakers, chanting “México!” and “¡Sí se puede!” They brandished the Mexican flag seemingly everywhere: on banners, painted on cheeks, emblazoned on Jaimes’ tube top. They stood on the back of trucks and boogied.
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Harvard alum Matt Freese took an unusual path to starting in goal for U.S. at World Cup
Playing in goal for the U.S. men’s national soccer team is a little like playing right field for the Yankees. You’re following a long line of great players, making the comparisons — and the high expectations — unavoidable.
Matt Freese is the latest to be thrown into that crucible. But he considers that pressure to be a privilege, not a problem.
“I wouldn’t say it’s intimidating, I would say it’s inspiring,” he said before the U.S. training session Tuesday morning in Irvine. “It’s a long line of goalkeepers that I’ve looked up to for my whole life — and there were some before my life as well.”
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Arellano: Thanks to the World Cup, I’m finally learning the words to the Mexican national anthem
I rose from my living room couch before Mexico’s World Cup match against Czechia when the Telemundo announcer stated it was time for the Mexican national anthem.
The public address system at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City played a short string intro. My back straightened. I pressed my right hand against my chest horizontally in the traditional gesture that accompanies the tune. And then I recited the opening lyrics to a song I’ve heard all my life but that I only began committing to memory this month:
Mexicanos al grito de guerra / El acero aprestad y bridón / Y retiemble en sus centros la tierra / Al sonoro rugir del cañon
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‘Why not us?’ How Mauricio Pochettino taught the U.S. to believe it could win a World Cup
A bowl of lemons sits on a table in the conference room Mauricio Pochettino has turned into an office at the U.S. men’s soccer team’s beachfront resort in south Orange County. The citrus fruit, the coach believes, has the spiritual ability to absorb negative energy. On the corner of another table, the flame from a candle flickers.
“I like candles,” says Pochettino, who believes they release therapeutic fragrances and create a calming environment.
But it is the massive, blood-red mural covering the entire south side of the room that truly reveals what Pochettino believes. In the center of the wall, just behind the coach’s desk, white block letters spell out “Why Not” above a script “U.S.,” which, despite the periods, is meant to be read as “us.”
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Swanson: Christian Pulisic is the spark the U.S. will need in the World Cup’s knockout stages
Christian Pulisic is back. Back like Captain America, revived and ready to go after being put on ice for a spell, needed to save the day.
Forget everything else about Thursday’s match against Turkey at SoFi Stadium and marinate on that.
Never mind the United States’ 3-2 loss in their final World Cup Group D match; the result was inconsequential. The Americans knew they were going through to the round of 32, and more, they’d already won the group. No pressure is a privilege, well-earned.
Never mind how the match ended, with a gut punch of a goal from Kaan Ayhan in the final moments of stoppage time.
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For Sebastian Berhalter, a shot with the U.S. national team was well worth the wait
Some kids grow up with video games and summer camp. Sebastian Berhalter grew up with the World Cup.
He was 13 months old when his father, Gregg, played in the tournament for the first time and 5 when his dad was called back. And four years ago, when Sebastian was already a professional in his own right, he went to Qatar to watch his father coach the U.S. to the round of 16.
Yet none of that prepared the younger Berhalter for his own World Cup debut earlier this month.
“It’s ridiculous,” Sebastian said. “Before the game, I just kept chuckling to myself, like, ‘What the hell is going on?’ Literally I couldn’t believe it. Playing for my country, it’s the best feeling in the world.
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How the FIFA World Cup is providing a boost for L.A. businesses
Johnny Beig may have played in a semiprofessional cricket league in Australia, but this summer he’s a big fan of soccer in the United States.
It’s not just because he’s rooting for the World Cup team, though.
Last year, Beig’s Beverly Hills-based company, Dioz Group, won a $2.5 million contract with On Location, FIFA’s hospitality partner, to design, manufacture and distribute uniforms for all employees working at FIFA World Cup venues this summer.
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Mexican officials vow new safety protocols after World Cup celebrations turn deadly
MEXICO CITY — After Mexico’s 2-0 victory over Ecuador in the first round of the knockout stage of the World Cup, fans streamed into the streets here to celebrate, blowing horns, waving flags and shouting: “Let’s go to the Angel!”
An estimated 1 million people had flocked to the Angel of Independence, a towering monument on Mexico City’s main boulevard, to watch the game on massive screens. More revelers headed there after the match to party. Red, green and white fireworks exploded, music boomed and strangers danced and cheered together.
But the street was much too crowded. Panic surged, and many fans found themselves packed together with no clear escape.
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Contributor: U.S.-born Brian Gutiérrez and Obed Vargas signal a new era for Mexico’s national team
After the total failure that was Mexico’s participation in the Qatar 2022 World Cup, where they were eliminated in the group stage, the future looked very dire for “El Tri.” By 2024, the situation had worsened after another international failure at the Copa América. The 2026 World Cup co-hosts had even more pressure now. In a crisis-control move, the Mexico Football Federation opted to bring back its proven problem solver, head coach “El Vasco” Javier Aguirre, for a third stint.
In a short time, Aguirre was able to shape “El Tri” into a competitive squad by breaking from his usual approach. The man who shockingly demoted then-24-year-old goalkeeper Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa in favor of a more experienced player prior to the 2010 World Cup was now relying on upstarts.
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FIFA decision to rescind U.S. star Folarin Balogun’s suspension draws cheers and outrage
SEATTLE — FIFA made a dramatic discipline change for just the second time in its history, clearing the way for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun to play in Monday’s elimination game with Belgium.
The rare move drew celebration from the U.S. players who felt Balogun’s red card was unjust and drew outrage from the Belgium team and others protective of the integrity of the laws of soccer.
FIFA, the global governing body for soccer and the organizer of the World Cup, announced Sunday morning that the one-game suspension given to Balogun for a dangerous challenge that could have injured an opponent in last week’s win over Bosnia-Herzegovina would be held in abeyance, making him eligible to play in what is arguably the team’s most important game in at least a generation.
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On America’s 250th birthday, U.S. soccer team of immigrants embodies founders’ dreams
SEATTLE — James Wilson, one of just six men who signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, never could have imagined how grand the country he was founding would become. But he knew how it could get there.
Wilson envisioned a steady stream of foreigners coming to America every year, reinvigorating the energy and vitality the nation needed if it were to survive, much less thrive. Which is why Wilson, who moved to the colonies from Scotland at 22, argued against barriers on immigration that would “deprive the government of the talents, virtue and abilities of such foreigners as might chose to remove to this country.”
What Wilson had in mind, then, is something such as the U.S. national soccer team, which gathered to train Saturday morning, on the country’s 250th birthday.
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England faces Mexico, altitude and potent Azteca Stadium with World Cup glory at stake
England famously found itself on the wrong side of World Cup history at Azteca Stadium, surrendering Diego Maradona’s iconic “Hand of God” goal and another strike known as the tournament’s “most beautiful goal.”
Maradona and eventual champion Argentina eliminated England 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup, leaving the Brits to stew over their link to a soccer legend.
England will return to Azteca Stadium on Sunday to take on World Cup co-host Mexico in a round-of-16 match kicking off at 5 p.m. PDT and airing on Fox and Telemundo.
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Folarin Balogun urges U.S. to focus on beating Belgium despite red card he calls unjust
Like a good striker, Folarin Balogun never loses sight of the goal. And the goal for the U.S. team in this summer’s World Cup hasn’t been just to win, which they’ve done, but to inspire.
And that’s how Balogun found himself on the field, shaking hands with Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, about 45 minutes after Claus gave him a controversial red card in Wednesday’s win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, a red card that will keep him out of Monday’s round-of-16 game with Belgium.
“Little kids are watching, and we have to show them the correct way to handle things, even when you think it’s unjust,” Balogun said Friday.
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U.S. men piling up historic moments at World Cup, but focus is on the here and now
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Mauricio Pochettino’s team continues to do things in this summer’s World Cup that no U.S. team has ever done before.
Its three wins are the most in a single tournament. So are the 10 goals in four games. It has the best goal differential ever and its two shutouts ties a record.
Yet all that means absolutely nothing to the players.
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2026 World Cup knockout round TV schedule, game previews and results
It’s knockout time at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The round of 16 is in full swing, with tournament co-hosts U.S. and Mexico among the teams vying for a spot in next week’s quarterfinals.
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Looking back at the first 24 days of the World Cup
The first 24 days of the 2026 FIFA World Cup offered plenty of memorable moments.
Check out The Times’ daily recaps ahead of Sunday’s two-game slate:
Live updates from Saturday’s knockout round games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 39-day tournament.
Live updates from Friday’s knockout round games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 39-day tournament.
Live updates from Thursday’s knockout round games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 39-day tournament.
England and Belgium rallied from early deficits and the U.S. held on despite a red card, winning Wednesday to clear the first World Cup knockout round.
Kylian Mbappé scored his fifth and sixth World Cup goals, leading France to a World Cup knockout round win Tuesday. Mexico and Norway also advanced.
Recapping Monday’s knockout-round wins by Brazil, Paraguay and Morocco at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Get the latest news, results and highlights.
Live updates from Canada vs. South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday. Get the latest news and results as the knockout rounds begin.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Recapping Day 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
South Africa pulled off a stunning 1-0 win over South Korea Wednesday night, advancing to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time.
Cristiano Ronaldo snapped out of his goal scoring slump to lead Portugal to a win, while Ghana held Harry Kane and England and Colombia rallied to beat Congo.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Recapping what happened at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Harry Kane tied a World Cup record during England’s win, Cristiano Ronaldo was held scoreless during a draw, Ghana stunned Panama and more during Day 7.
Stars Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi all scored while leading France, Norway and Argentina to wins on Day 6 of the 2026 World Cup.
Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team tournament.
Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Folarin Balogun scores twice and Christian Pulisic sets up two goals to lead the U.S. to a 4-1 win in its World Cup opener over Paraguay on Friday.
Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.
Mexico defeats South Africa 2-0 in a game that featured three red cards. Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez scored for Mexico in front of 80,824 fans.