Thursday July 2 recap — Ronaldo finally delivers, Switzerland make history

Thursday July 2 and the night into Friday — the round of 32 wraps up quietly for Spain, painfully for Portugal, and historically for Switzerland. Three wins, three very different flavors of knockout football.

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Spain 3-0 Austria — La Roja suffocate, three Gunners through

(Facts — sources: ESPN, Yahoo Sports, FotMob.)

Same picture all night: Spain surging forward with the ball, Austria backing off without ever being able to track them. Yamal tore that defence apart, Oyarzabal grabbed a brace (36’, 89’) and Porro headed in a third at 66’. Game over long before full time.

3 key numbers:

• 67% possession for Spain, to Austria’s 33%.
• 8 shots on target to 0 — Austria never threatened Simón’s goal. You’d have to go back to the 2014 final to find a team this toothless in a World Cup knockout game.
• 36’ and 89’ — Oyarzabal’s brace, pushing him into the tournament’s top scorers (4 goals).

Gunners spotlight: three Gunners in the Spain squad. Raya and Zubimendi watched from the bench, Merino came on at 71’. All three through to the last 16 — and straight into a blockbuster against Ronaldo’s Portugal, Monday in Dallas.

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Portugal 2-1 Croatia — Ronaldo’s first knockout goal

(Facts — sources: ESPN, Yahoo Sports, Opta Analyst.)

Perišić had a nation on edge. Portugal dominated without scoring, and Croatia’s goal at 53’ briefly raised the spectre of an early exit for Ronaldo. Then came the penalty: 68th minute, Ronaldo converts — his first-ever World Cup knockout goal, six tournaments into his career. The story wasn’t over: Leão found substitute Ramos, who headed home the winner at 90+4’.

3 key numbers:

• 51% possession for Portugal, but only 3 shots on target to Croatia’s 6.
• 68th minute — Ronaldo’s penalty, the turning point of a nervy night.
• 90+4’ — Ramos’s header, sending Portugal into the last 16.

Gunners spotlight: no Gunners in this one, but the round of 16 opponent is set: Raya, Merino and Zubimendi’s Spain, Monday in Dallas.

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Switzerland 2-0 Algeria — first time since 1938

(Facts — sources: ESPN, Al Jazeera.)

Ten minutes. That’s all it took for Embolo to open the scoring, finishing off a driving run from Manzambi. Right after the restart, Ndoye pounced on a sloppy Algerian clearance to make it two. Algeria had the ball — 56% possession, same as every match this tournament — but never really the danger.

3 key numbers:

• 56% possession for Algeria, without it ever translating into clear chances.
• xG 2.52 to 0.73 in Switzerland’s favour — efficiency over control.
• 10’ and 46’ — Embolo then Ndoye, settling it early in both halves.

Gunners spotlight: no Gunners in this tie. Switzerland now wait on their round of 16 opponent — the winner of Colombia-Ghana, Friday night.

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Bracket update — who’s through, who’s waiting?

(Source: official FIFA bracket, verified via ESPN / FotMob.)

• Spain (last 16): face Portugal, Monday July 6 in Dallas — Raya, Merino, Zubimendi against Ronaldo and company. An instant clash between two contenders.
• Switzerland (last 16): opponent TBD on Friday night, between Colombia and Ghana.
• Still to play on Friday: Australia-Egypt, Argentina-Cape Verde and Colombia-Ghana, closing out the round of 32 entirely.

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The GG take

(Opinion.)

Three wins, three different faces of knockout football.

Spain left no room for doubt — La Roja in bulldozer mode, Yamal unplayable, Austria’s defence never in the game. The kind of performance that settles the nerves before an instant clash with Portugal.

Portugal lived the opposite: a match that looked under control on paper, but a real scare before Ronaldo finally shook off a stat that had followed him across six World Cups. It took a penalty and a super-sub to get there — not the most reassuring way to walk into a meeting with Spain.

And Switzerland wrote a line of history. Nobody had seen this since 1938. Not flashy, just efficient — and ruthless on the only thing that matters: getting through.

On the Gunners front, Raya, Merino and Zubimendi are through and land straight into a heavyweight tie. See you Monday in Dallas.

#WorldCup2026 #COYG