Overview
- Egypt reached the World Cup round of 16 for the first time after beating Australia on penalties, with Mohamed Salah scoring a Panenka-style spot kick and the team set to face Argentina in the next round.
- Morocco swept Canada 3-0 to move into the quarterfinals and will meet France in the last eight following a dominant knockout performance.
- Paraguay eliminated Germany to claim a place in the round of 16 and is scheduled to play France in the next match-up.
- FIFA publicly confirmed that data from the Trionda connected ball’s inertial sensors detected a hair contact that led to the disallowed Croatia goal, showing the ball’s readings are now being used in VAR reviews.
- Smaller teams are reaping immediate benefits from knockout success as Cape Verde and others get tourism and sponsorship attention, Egypt recorded a five-place rise in the FIFA rankings and mass celebrations spread through Egyptian cities and diaspora communities.