Ronaldo’s Knockout Breakthrough, Modrić’s Final Bow and a Flawless Spain

Round of 32 · 2 July 2026 · Three ties settled · Spain, Portugal and Switzerland advance · R16 bracket firms to 6 of 8 pairings confirmed

Three Round of 32 ties on Wednesday, three clean winners, zero penalty shootouts — and the knockout stage delivered its most emotionally loaded night of the tournament so far. Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first-ever World Cup knockout goal at the age of 41. Luka Modrić walked off the pitch for the last time at a World Cup. And Spain rolled through Austria without conceding a goal for the fifth consecutive match, setting up an all-Iberian Round of 16 collision that the bracket had been whispering about since the group stage ended.

An editorial illustration showing Ronaldo celebrating a penalty goal in a Portugal shirt with the Toronto skyline behind the stadium
Cristiano Ronaldo became the oldest player to score in a World Cup knockout match — at 41 years old, from the penalty spot in Toronto.
Spain 3-0 Austria, Portugal 2-1 Croatia (Ramos 90+4′), Switzerland 2-0 Algeria. All three ties settled in regulation. Spain and Portugal now meet in an all-Iberian Round of 16 tie on 6 July in Dallas.

The three ties, settled

Match (Round of 32) Score Key scorers Venue
Spain vs Austria 3-0 Oyarzabal 36′ & 89′, Pedro Porro 66′ SoFi Stadium, Inglewood CA
Portugal vs Croatia 2-1 Perišić 53′ (CRO); Ronaldo 68′ pen, Gonçalo Ramos 90+4′ (POR) BMO Field, Toronto
Switzerland vs Algeria 2-0 Embolo 10′, Ndoye 46′ BC Place, Vancouver

Sources: FIFA, ESPN, Olympics.com, NBC Sports, CBS Sports — cross-verified as of 3 July 2026 ET.

Spain 3-0 Austria — still haven’t conceded

Spain’s defensive record at this tournament has moved beyond impressive into historically unusual territory. Five matches played, zero goals conceded, and against Austria they added ruthless attacking numbers to match: 23 shots to 5, Mikel Oyarzabal with a brace (36′ and 89′) and Pedro Porro with the third (66′). Austria never seriously threatened an equaliser, and Spain move into the Round of 16 as the tournament’s most complete side on paper.

The zero-conceded run: Spain have now played 450+ minutes at the 2026 World Cup without conceding — the longest active clean-sheet run at the tournament.

Portugal 2-1 Croatia — the 94th-minute heartbreak

The night’s defining match, and it played out almost entirely in stoppage time. Ivan Perišić gave Croatia the lead in the 53rd minute — a finish that briefly made the knockout stage look like the platform for one final Modrić masterclass. Ronaldo levelled from the penalty spot in the 68th, his first-ever World Cup knockout goal, making him the oldest player to score at this stage of the competition. Then, deep in added time, Gonçalo Ramos headed home a Rafael Leão cross at 90+4′ to win it. A Joško Gvardiol header that would have equalised again was ruled out by VAR for offside.

Portugal dedicated the victory to late teammate Diogo Jota.

"This victory is for him and his family." — Rúben Neves (Portugal), TSN, 2 July 2026

Ronaldo’s record
First World Cup knockout goal at 41 years, 5 months. He entered the Golden Boot board at approximately 61.00 decimal (FanDuel via Fox Sports, 3 July 2026). One penalty, one disallowed goal, and a place in the Round of 16 against Spain.
Modrić’s farewell
Luka Modrić, 40, played what is widely reported as his final World Cup match. The post-whistle embrace between Modrić and Ronaldo — ex-Real Madrid teammates — was the image of the night. Croatia are eliminated.

Switzerland 2-0 Algeria — cruise into a fourth straight R16

On Canadian soil in Vancouver, Switzerland dispatched Algeria with minimal fuss. Breel Embolo opened the scoring around the 10th minute and Dan Ndoye doubled the lead immediately after half-time (46′). Switzerland advance to their fourth consecutive World Cup Round of 16 and will face the winner of today’s Colombia vs Ghana tie.

The Round of 16 bracket — 6 of 8 pairings confirmed

Wednesday’s results firmed the bracket significantly. Six of eight Round of 16 ties now have both teams confirmed; only M95 and M96 depend on today’s final R32 matches.

Date (ET) R16 match Status
Sat 4 Jul, 1:00 PM Canada vs Morocco Confirmed
Sat 4 Jul, 5:00 PM Paraguay vs France Confirmed
Sun 5 Jul, 4:00 PM Brazil vs Norway Confirmed
Sun 5 Jul, 8:00 PM Mexico vs England Confirmed
Mon 6 Jul, 3:00 PM Spain vs Portugal Confirmed (newly set)
Mon 6 Jul, 8:00 PM USA vs Belgium Confirmed
Tue 7 Jul, 12:00 PM (Australia/Egypt winner) vs (Argentina/Cape Verde winner) TBD — both feeders play today
Tue 7 Jul, 4:00 PM Switzerland vs (Colombia/Ghana winner) Switzerland confirmed; opponent TBD today

Source: Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, FIFA — as of 3 July 2026 ET.

The marquee tie: Spain vs Portugal (M93) on 6 July in Dallas is the headline pairing of the Round of 16. Spain are priced at 1.95 to win in 90 minutes; Portugal at 4.20 (OddsPortal-format aggregator, screen-verified 3 July 2026). The draw — meaning extra time and penalties — is 3.70.

Outright winner odds — updated board

With Austria, Croatia and Algeria eliminated, the outright market has reshaped around the survivors. Numbers below are decimal, from an OddsPortal-format aggregator (screen-verified via user screenshot), as of 3 July 2026.

Selection Odds (decimal) Movement
France 2.95 Clear favourite
Argentina 5.70 —
Spain 7.00 —
England 10.25 —
Brazil 13.50 —
Portugal 13.50 Firmed after beating Croatia (was ~15.00–16.00)
Canada 251.00 Co-hosts, R16 vs Morocco Saturday
Example: Portugal shortened after Wednesday’s win — from roughly +1600 to +1300 on the FanDuel board (approximately 17.00 → 14.00 decimal). A C$10 outright on Portugal at 13.50 returns C$135. France remain the clear market leader at 2.95, where a C$25 ticket returns C$73.75 (C$48.75 profit). Lines stamped 3 July 2026 — confirm the live price at your Canadian-licensed sportsbook before staking.

The Canadian read

  • The bracket has a marquee side. Spain vs Portugal on 6 July in Dallas is the tie of the Round of 16. For Canada, it is also welcome news — those two heavyweights are on the opposite side of the draw.
  • Today closes the R32. Three ties remain (Australia–Egypt, Argentina–Cape Verde, Colombia–Ghana). After today, the full Round of 16 bracket is set, and Canada can see their quarter-final opponent.
  • Golden Boot — Mbappé and Messi still level on 6. Neither played on Wednesday. Oyarzabal’s brace moved him to 4, one behind Haaland and Kane (5 each).
What were the World Cup results on 2 July 2026?
Spain beat Austria 3-0 (Oyarzabal 36′ & 89′, Pedro Porro 66′), Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 (Perišić 53′; Ronaldo 68′ pen, Gonçalo Ramos 90+4′) and Switzerland beat Algeria 2-0 (Embolo 10′, Ndoye 46′). All three were Round of 32 ties settled in regulation.
Did Cristiano Ronaldo score at the 2026 World Cup?
Yes. Ronaldo scored a 68th-minute penalty in Portugal’s 2-1 Round of 32 win over Croatia in Toronto on 2 July 2026 — his first-ever World Cup knockout-stage goal, at the age of 41.
When do Spain play Portugal?
Spain and Portugal meet in the Round of 16 (M93) on Monday 6 July 2026 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, with kickoff at 3:00 PM ET. Spain are 1.95 to win in 90 minutes (aggregator, 3 July 2026).
Who has been eliminated from the 2026 World Cup?
From the 2 July R32 ties: Austria, Croatia and Algeria. They join Germany, the Netherlands, and other sides already eliminated. Sixteen teams remain in the Round of 16 (which begins 4 July).
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