Welcome to TNIE's LIVE coverage of Day 22 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Day 22 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 promises another thrilling day as Spain, Portugal and Croatia chase places in the last 16.
Spain kick off the day's action against Austria, with Lamine Yamal and La Roja looking to avoid an upset against an Austrian side with nothing to lose.
The second game will see Portugal face Croatia in a blockbuster tie that could mark the final FIFA World Cup appearance for either Cristiano Ronaldo or his former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric.
The day's action concludes with Switzerland taking on Algeria, who will be desperate to avoid becoming the latest African side to exit the tournament after the eliminations of Ivory Coast, DR Congo and Senegal. Morocco remain the continent's only team through to the last 16.
Here are Day 22's fixtures (all times in IST):
Spain vs Austria - 12:30 am
Portugal vs Croatia - 4:30 am
Switzerland vs Algeria - 8:30 am
Day 21 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup produced another spellbinding chapter as Belgium pulled off one of the tournament's greatest comebacks, rallying from 2-0 down with four minutes of normal time remaining to beat Senegal 3-2 after extra time.
Youri Tielemans etched his name into World Cup history by scoring the latest goal ever, finding the net in the 124th minute.
England booked their place in the Round of 16 after captain Harry Kane struck twice late on to seal a comeback win over DR Congo.
The United States also advanced to the last 16 with a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, setting up a knockout clash against Belgium.
For 85 minutes, Senegal had the run of play. The African team held a two-goal lead, and had all but secured a spot in the round of 16 at the World Cup.
Within 5 minutes, it crumbled.
“We were at the heart of writing the beautiful pages of the history of our football in this world,” defender Krépin Diatta said. “And, we have to accept that we failed at our mission.”
Late goals by Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans tied the score in the final minutes of regulation time, and Tielemans completed Belgium’s 3-2 comeback win by converting a penalty just before the end of extra time.
Swiss forward Breel Embolo credits Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic with raising up Switzerland's national team during his seven years at the helm.
Embolo and the Swiss will play against Algeria and their former coach on Thursday in Vancouver, British Columbia, when the two teams meet in the round of 32 at the World Cup.
Petkovic coached Switzerland from July 2014 to 2021. He led the team to the round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, then took Switzerland to the quarterfinals of the European Championships for the first time in 2020.
“The world of football has become universal. Everyone knows each other. There are no real secrets left in the game,” Petkovic said. “I don’t think it’s a huge advantage to know someone or someone else, just as I know the players, the players know me, and it’s a huge pleasure to come up against them. It’ll be lovely to meet and greet them, but after that, the players will go out there on the pitch, and I’m certainly expecting a tough game, and in order to win a match we need to give 120% against a very decent Swiss inside.”
After Senegal blew a late lead against Belgium to go out of the World Cup, midfielder Pape Gueye said he would not play for the team while the coaching staff stays.
Senegal led 2-0 after 85 minutes in the round of 32 game but gave up two goals before the 90th minute and ended up losing 3-2 to a penalty awarded deep in extra time.
Gueye posted on Instagram that “as long as it's this technical staff in place, I will take a break from the national team."
The 27-year-old Villarreal player, who scored two goals in Senegal’s 5-0 group-stage win over Iraq, did not mention coach Pape Thiaw.
Norwegian referee Espen Eskas will officiate the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 encounter between Portugal and Croatia at the Toronto Stadium on Thursday.
The 38-year-old has been on FIFA’s international referees list since 2017 and has established himself as one of UEFA’s leading match officials. He has overseen fixtures in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Nations League, and European Championship qualifiers, and is renowned for his calm decision-making under pressure.
Eskas had previously featured in this World Cup’s Group H matchup between Spain and Cape Verde.
Across his senior professional career, Eskas has officiated 417 matches, issuing 1353 yellow cards and 23 direct red cards. That translates to an average of 3.24 yellow cards, 0.06 red cards, and a total of 3.30 cards per game.
Pubs across England and Wales will be allowed to stay open until 5 am (0400GMT) on Monday to allow football fans to watch England's World Cup clash with Mexico.
"In a boost for pubs, bars and football fans... alcohol licensing hours will be extended for Sunday night's match which kicks off at 1:00 am," the UK prime minister's office said Thursday.
After England made it into the last 16 in the World Cup, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "Football might be coming home, but we're making sure fans don't have to.
"Pubs staying open till the final whistle is good news for supporters and good news for the pubs and venues that bring our communities together."
Spain defeated Austria 3-0 at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to reach the last 16 of the World Cup on Thursday.
Two goals from Mikel Oyarzabal either side of a Pedro Porro header sent the Spaniards into a meeting with either Portugal or Croatia, who play later on Thursday.
Goncalo Ramos scored an injury-time winner as Portugal battled into the last 16 of the World Cup on Thursday with a drama-filled 2-1 victory over Croatia.
Ramos glanced in a sensational header in the fourth minute of injury time before Croatia had a last-gasp equaliser ruled out for offside as Portugal advanced to a titanic clash with Spain next Monday.
Switzerland took an early 1-0 lead in the 11th minute through Breel Embolo, scoring against the run of play. Johan Manzambi produced a brilliant solo run, weaving through the Algeria defence before reaching the byline and cutting the ball back into the six-yard box, where Embolo was on hand to tap home the opener.
Switzerland doubled their lead just seconds into the second half as Dan Ndoye made it 2-0 in the 46th minute. Algeria failed to clear the danger on two occasions inside the box, allowing Ndoye to pounce and fire home to give Switzerland a commanding advantage.
Switzerland beat Algeria 2-0 to reach the World Cup last 16, securing a third straight tournament win and their first knockout victory since 1938. They will face the winner of Colombia vs Ghana in Vancouver for a place in the quarter-finals.