The Round of 16 brought a new level of chaos to this 2026 World Cup. All three hosts were eliminated, Lionel Messi added to his scoring record in a wild comeback, Cristiano Ronaldo waved goodbye to international competition, and England survived a chaotic night in Mexico City.
Here are the awards for the Round of 16.
Most Outstanding Player
Erling Haaland, Norway
On a limited 30 touches, Haaland maximized his opportunities. In a tight match against the five-time World Cup winners, it was Haaland’s raw athleticism that proved to be the difference
maker. In the 79th minute, he climbed the ladder to power in the go-ahead header. At the beginning of stoppage time, Haaland completed his brace with a blast that screamed past Alisson. Haaland has scored a brace in every match so far, except the Ivory Coast game where he only scored the late game winner. No big deal.
Best Young Player
Désiré Doué, France
Across the board, the World Cup youngsters caught a bit of a reality check in the Round of 16. The veterans paved the way through crucial moments. The closest exception was Norway’s Andreas Schjelderup who delivered both of Haaland’s assists. However, Schjelderup turned 22 right before the World Cup, missing the age cutoff of 21 years old.
Playing as a sub for the third time this tournament, Doué put in a solid 29-minute shift that helped France see out the win against a fierce Paraguayan side. He only missed two passes while adding two successful dribbles, three key passes, and added 12 carries. His biggest contribution was beating four defenders on a single dribble to draw the foul that allowed Kylian Mbappé to score from the penalty spot and send France into the quarterfinals.
Best Attacker
Charles De Ketelaere, Belgium
The USMNT crashed out of the World Cup with a series of egregious errors against Belgium. De Ketelaere was the biggest benefactor, netting two goals in the first half and a deflection assist in the second half to break the hearts of the American crowd. All three opportunities were mental mistakes by the American defense and De Ketelaere immediately capitalized.
On the opening goal, the USMNT failed to clear the box, allowing an easy cross and tap-in. On the second goal, De Ketelaere bodied captain Tim Ream for a header. On the assist, Matt Freese wandered aimlessly out of his box and light pressure from De Ketelaere led to a long range shot.
Best Midfielder
Jude Bellingham, England
Bellingham scored two goals in two minutes in three minutes to send the Estadio Azteca into meltdown mode. But Bellingham’s efforts were felt all around the pitch as he mixed a variety of dazzling dribbles, clever flicks, and outrageous defensive efforts to secure the win for England.
Bellingham covered 10 kilometers, added seven defensive contributions, and won 10 of 16 duels. He played like a man who was possessed, especially after that tacky red card challenge from Jarell Quansah left England playing down a man for nearly a half.
Best Defender
Noussair Mazraoui, Morocco
The former Bayern Munich defender completely locked down the left flank for Morocco on the way to a 3-0 victory over Canada. Jonathan David, Tajon Buchanan, and Alistair Johnson were utterly useless against Mazraoui. The Moroccan defender had 10 clearances, five recoveries, won 12 of 15 duels, and blocked a shot while not committing a single foul.
Best Goalkeeper
Ørjan Nyland, Norway
Nyland was a screaming monster for 90 minutes and change, embracing the underdog role and willing his team to victory. On top of the crucial penalty save in the early moments of the match, Nyland made four more saves on his way to personally preventing 0.76 goals. His distribution was fantastic, completing every pass in his own half.
The Norwegian team has earned millions of new fans this tournament with their rowing celebration, team chemistry, and contagious photography campaign.
Best Team
England, 3-2 win over Mexico
England ended Mexico’s 13-year unbeaten streak at Estadio Azteca in thrilling fashion. England built a 2-0 lead behind a pair of quick goals from Jude Bellingham but conceded right before halftime. Ten minutes into the second half, England had to deal with a red card. The entire team rallied and flew around the pitch to stymie Mexico at every turn. Anthony Gordon earned a penalty kick on a pure effort play, then Harry Kane stepped up and delivered a clutch game winner. Mexico scored a penalty kick of their own but it was too little, too late.
England have reached the quarterfinals for the third consecutive World Cup and are coming together at the perfect time. They have always had the talent. Will this finally be the year that England brings home the biggest trophy in sports?
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