Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland secured their places in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday after impressive victories across North America.
Spain delivered one of the standout performances of the tournament with a dominant 3-0 win over Austria in Los Angeles. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice, while Pedro Porro added the third as the 2010 world champions recorded a fourth consecutive clean sheet.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente praised his team's display, describing it as "almost perfect" after they comfortably booked their place in the last 16.
Portugal also progressed after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia in Toronto.
Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Croatia fought back to level the match.
However, Gonçalo Ramos struck deep into stoppage time to send the Portuguese into the next round and keep their title hopes alive.
Switzerland completed the trio of qualifiers with a composed 2-0 victory over Algeria in Vancouver.
Breel Embolo put the Swiss ahead in the 10th minute after a brilliant run and assist from Johan Manzambi, while Dan Ndoye doubled the lead just after halftime with a clinical finish.
Algeria enjoyed spells of possession but struggled to break down Switzerland's disciplined defence, with captain Riyad Mahrez missing their best opportunity before the break.
The victory marked Switzerland's first World Cup knockout-stage win since 1938 and extended their unbeaten run at the tournament.
Murat Yakin's side will now face either Colombia or Ghana for a place in the quarterfinals.
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