Overview
- France beat Norway 4-1 on Friday with Ousmane Dembélé scoring a hat‑trick to finish top of Group I.
- Senegal routed Iraq 5-0 to claim third in Group I and put themselves in contention for a best‑third spot.
- Capo Verde reached the round of 16 for the first time and will face Argentina after finishing second in Group H.
- Belgium thumped New Zealand 5-1 to win Group G while Egypt also advanced, and four round‑of‑16 pairings are already confirmed: South Africa v Canada, Netherlands v Morocco, Brazil v Japan, and USA v Bosnia.
- The tournament moves to knockouts with South Africa‑Canada first, but the expanded 48‑team format and the rule to take eight best third‑placed teams mean several matchups and seeding positions remain undecided and could affect travel, rotation and potential late clashes between the top scorers.