Don’t Miss These Three Amazing World Cup Games on Tuesday!

Are you ready to watch some of the best soccer players in the world? Tuesday, June 30 is going to be an exciting day at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with three big games in the "Round of 32". This is where teams play one-and-done — and the loser goes home!

Let’s walk through every game so you know exactly what to expect.

Game 1: Norway vs. Ivory Coast

When: Tuesday, June 30 at 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)

Where: Dallas, Texas

TV Channel: FOX

You can also stream it for free for three days on FOX One.

What to Know

Norway is the team most people think will win this game. But don’t count out Ivory Coast just yet! Ivory Coast is one of Africa’s best teams and will be tough to beat.

Norway’s Story So Far:

• Won their games against Iraq and Senegal in the group stage
• Lost to France, but they played that game without their best players rested
• Their superstar Erling Haaland scored two goals in each of his first two games (that’s already 4 goals!)
• Key players like Martin Ødegaard, Antonio Nusa, and Erling Haaland lost to France, but they are expected to play against Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast’s Story So Far:

• Beat France even before the World Cup started, so they believe they can do big things!
• Only let in two goals total during their group stage games
• They’re both physically strong and very skilled
• Their attack features talented wingers Yan Diomande (linked to Paris Saint-Germain) and Amad Diallo (who plays for Manchester United)
• Plus, Nicolas Pépé leads the attack in the center

The Big Question

Important Point: Norway’s defense has been shaky. They’ve let in at least one goal in every game and haven’t kept the other team from scoring a single goal in their last five matches. If Norway wants to move on to the next round, their defense will need to play much better.

Player to Watch: Antonio Nusa

Everyone knows about Erling Haaland, but here’s a secret: Antonio Nusa is one of the most important players on Norway’s team. Why? Because he creates goals for Haaland! Nusa plays on the left side and makes runs to receive passes from teammates like Martin Ødegaard and Sander Berge. If Nusa plays well and delivers good passes, Haaland becomes almost impossible to stop.

Game 2: France vs. Sweden

When: Tuesday, June 30 at 5:00 PM (Eastern Time)

Where: New York/New Jersey Stadium

TV Channel: FOX

You can also stream it for free for three days on FOX One.

What to Know

France looks like one of the best teams in the entire tournament right now. Sweden will need something really special — and a whole lot of luck — just to have a chance.

France’s Story So Far:

• Came into the World Cup as one of the top favorites to win it all
• Scored at least 3 goals in all three of their group stage games
• Their star power is incredible:
  • Kylian Mbappé: 4 goals and 1 assist so far
  • Ousmane Dembélé: The reigning Ballon d’Or winner (that’s the award for the best player in the whole world!) — also has 4 goals and 1 assist
  • Michael Olise: One of the tournament’s best midfielders with 3 assists in the group stage

Important Point: France even beat Norway — with Dembélé scoring a hat trick (three goals in one game!) in the first half alone.

Sweden’s Story So Far:

• Some good players, but they’ve been very up and down
• Let in 7 goals during the group stage
• Lost 5-1 to the Netherlands in one game (that’s rough!)
• They do have two talented forwards though: Viktor Gyökeres (from Arsenal) and Alexander Isak (from Liverpool) — both can score against top teams

The Big Picture

To be honest, Sweden would need almost everything to go perfectly to beat this French team. France is just that good right now. But soccer is unpredictable — that’s what makes it fun to watch!

Player to Watch: Ousmane Dembélé

Dembélé is the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, meaning he’s officially the best soccer player on the planet right now. Surprisingly, he didn’t score his first World Cup goal until this tournament. But once he scored that first goal against Iraq, he couldn’t stop! He then scored a hat trick against Norway. Against Sweden’s shaky defense, Dembélé could have an amazing day.

Game 3: Mexico vs. Ecuador

When: Tuesday, June 30 at 9:00 PM (Eastern Time)

Where: Mexico City, Mexico

TV Channel: FOX

You can also stream it for free for three days on FOX One.

What to Know

This game is extra special for Mexico. In their entire history at the World Cup, Mexico has only won ONE knockout game ever — and that was way back in 1986 when they beat Bulgaria 2-0. Now, exactly 40 years and 15 days later, they have a chance to win their second knockout game — in the same city!

Mexico’s Story So Far:

• Won Group A with a perfect 9 points
• Won all three games against South Africa, South Korea, and Czechia
• Hasn’t let in a single goal in the group stage (6-0 in goals scored vs. goals allowed!)
• Their scoring is spread out — five different players scored their 6 goals: Mateo Chávez, Álvaro Fidalgo, Raúl Jiménez, Luis Romo, and Julián Quiñones (who scored twice)
• Playing at home in Mexico City with lots of fan support

Ecuador’s Story So Far:

• Made it to the knockouts in dramatic fashion — they had to beat Germany in their final group game to advance, and they did it by coming from behind!
• Gonzalo Plata scored the winning goal in the 77th minute
• Their defense is one of the best in the world:
  • In qualifying, they let in only 5 goals and kept 13 clean sheets (meaning the other team scored zero!)
  • Their defense is led by Willian Pacho (Paris Saint-Germain), Piero Hincapié (Arsenal), and Joel Ordoñez (Club Brugge)
  • In front of the defense sits Moisés Caicedo from Chelsea, one of the best defensive midfielders on Earth
• But their offense has struggled — they didn’t score in their first two games (lost 1-0 to Ivory Coast and tied 0-0 with Curaçao)

The Big Picture

Important Point: Both teams have amazing defenses, so this game might be very low-scoring — or even tied at the end, sending it to a penalty shootout!

Mexico has the home crowd and more scoring options. But if Ecuador’s defense plays its best game, anything can happen.

Player to Watch: Julián Quiñones

Julián Quiñones was born in Colombia but became a Mexican citizen in 2023. He’s now one of Mexico’s most important players. He was named Man of the Match in Mexico’s first game against South Africa and scored again against Czechia. He’s been in amazing form and was even the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League with 33 goals last season! His job? Find a way past Ecuador’s tough defense.

Summary

Here’s your quick guide to all three games on Tuesday, June 30:

All three games are on FOX and streaming on FOX One (free for 3 days!).

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the "Round of 32"?
A: It’s the first round of the knockout stage at the World Cup. 32 teams compete in one-game matchups, and the losing team is eliminated. The winner moves on to the "Round of 16" — the next stage of the tournament.

Q: Where can I watch the games?
A: All three games air on the FOX TV channel. You can also stream them for free on FOX One for three days.

Q: Who are the players I should pay the most attention to?
A: Keep your eyes on Erling Haaland (Norway), Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé (France), and Julián Quiñones (Mexico). These are some of the best players on the planet!

Q: Why is Mexico’s game special?
A: Mexico has only won ONE knockout game in their entire World Cup history — back in 1986. Tuesday is their chance to win their second ever, exactly 40 years later, and in the same city!

Q: Which game is most likely to be the most exciting?
A: While France vs. Sweden could have lots of goals thanks to France’s amazing attack, the Mexico vs. Ecuador game could be the most dramatic — a tough defensive battle that might even come down to a penalty shootout to decide the winner!