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 pm
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.
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.”
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.