​The 2026 World Cup has already given soccer fans around the world a flood of memorable moments, from Lionel Messi’s dazzling hat trick against Algeria to Harry Kane’s brace that kept England alive against DR Congo, with Lionel Mpasi’s goalkeeping heroics setting the stage for Kane’s later show. USA TODAY Sports’ Jim Reineking highlights the standout moments from the round of 16 in his new article, while I take on the less gleaming side of the picture, revisiting the moments from the previous round that fans would rather forget. Don’t worry, we’ll push through them. Not you, Egypt.
These are the tournament’s rougher edges from the last round, ranked by their significance and their putrescence. Neymar earns the “Act Like You’ve Been Here” award for his seemingly meaningless late goal in Brazil’s 2-1 loss to Norway. It was a polished penalty in the 100th minute, but with time waning, Neymar wasted what remained by shouting into Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland’s face to share thoughts on his ninth World Cup goal. Perhaps it was wiser to retreat to midfield and continue the fight elsewhere?
This round also delivered a painful spike of injury to sting. Henderson’s World Cup run ended abruptly after a freak postgame mishap left him with a serious wrist injury from a fall while he attempted to hop over an advertising board during England’s celebrations after beating Mexico. The injury not only dampened the victory celebration but also followed a game in which Henderson had not played a single minute, yet still picked up a yellow card from the sidelines.
Continuing the theme of endgame roughness for England versus Mexico, Mexican striker Santiago Giménez had to be stretchered off after the match with an ankle sprain in stoppage time. With the clock winding down and Mexico trailing 3-2, a teammate dragged Giménez off the field as Mexico attempted a corner, Giménez writhing in evident pain along the sideline. It was a brutal ending for both Giménez and Mexico, who nearly found an equalizer as Giménez received treatment.
Off the field, a Paraguayan politician ignited controversy with harsh remarks about French star Kylian Mbappé. On the pitch, Paraguay pressed France aggressively, a 1-0 win for France in a match that failed to live up to the sport’s celebrated “beautiful game” ideal as Paraguay’s defense sat deep in a rough, physically tense affair marked by 23 fouls and a lot of jawing that overshadowed the quality of play. “We can play ugly football. They thought we would show up in tuxedos, but we were there,” Mbappé stated after the match.
This moment also haunted American fans’ hearts: the moment that symbolized the heartbreak of U.S. soccer’s supporters as host nations Canada, Mexico, and the United States were all eliminated in short succession, with Belgium looming as the eventual barrier. Still trailing Belgium 2-1 and struggling to assemble chances, U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese erred by coming out of his box to make a long clearance attempt, which Belgium’s Charles De Ketelaere intercepted and deflected for a decisive goal. The sequence helped shape a sorrowful three-day stretch for North American hopes, a reminder of how quickly a tournament can turn on a single miscue.