What happened at the World Cup on July 2, 2026?

The Round of 32 ended with an instant classic. Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal survived a thriller against Croatia, winning 2-1 on a Gonçalo Ramos header in the 94th minute — ending Luka Modrić's tournament, and likely his World Cup career. Spain looked frighteningly good in a 3-0 win over Austria, and Switzerland beat Algeria 2-0. The last 16 is now set.

World Cup July 2: Portugal Edge Croatia in a Classic

1. Portugal survive an instant classic — and end an era

This was a game for the ages. Croatia led through Ivan Perišić, before Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot in the 68th minute. With extra time looming, substitute Gonçalo Ramos rose to head in Rafael Leão's cross in the 94th minute to win it 2-1 for Portugal. Croatia thought they'd equalized in the 103rd, but VAR ruled it out for offside. The result ends the tournament — and almost certainly the World Cup career — of 40-year-old Croatian great Luka Modrić. For a casual fan: two legends on the field, and only one walks on.

2. Ronaldo goes on, Modrić goes home

The subplot everyone will remember: two of the greatest players of their generation, both 40, met in a knockout game, and only one advanced. Ronaldo converted his penalty and moves on with Portugal into the Round of 16; Modrić, the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner who dragged Croatia to a World Cup final, exits for the last time. It's a poignant passing-of-an-era moment in a tournament that has been full of them.

3. Spain look like the team to beat

Quietly, ruthlessly, Spain are building a case as favorites. They dismantled Austria 3-0, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring twice and Pedro Porro adding a third. Spain have now won every game at this World Cup, blending teenage star Lamine Yamal's flair with a deep, controlled team. When a side wins this comfortably in the knockouts, everyone else takes notice. Spain are into the Round of 16 and look ominous.

4. Switzerland quietly march on

Not every result needs fireworks. Switzerland did a professional job on Algeria, winning 2-0 to reach the Round of 16 without much fuss. The Swiss have a habit of grinding through tournaments and being awkward opponents for bigger names — exactly the kind of team nobody wants to draw. They're through, and they'll fancy causing a surprise or two from here.

5. A stat worth sharing

With Thursday's games, the entire Round of 32 is complete and the last 16 is locked in. The knockout stage has already delivered penalty shootouts, a 125th-minute winner, and now a VAR-decided instant classic. Today the marquee tie arrives: Lionel Messi and champions Argentina face the tournament's ultimate underdogs, debutants Cape Verde. The fairytale meets the greatest — don't miss it.

What to Watch Today

Today features the blockbuster Argentina vs Cape Verde — Messi against the tournament's Cinderella story — as the Round of 16 gets underway. Key kickoffs run roughly 12:00 PM / 3:00 PM / 6:00 PM ET — about 1:00 AM / 4:00 AM / 7:00 AM JST and KST the next morning. Check worldcupexplain.com for the full bracket and schedule in your time zone.