For the first time in the history of the tournament, all three host countries of the World Cup 2026 have reached the Round of 16, with the semi-finalists being each other’s host nations.
For the first time in the tournament’s history, the Three Co-Hosts of the World Cup 2206 all have advanced to the Round of 16 where the semi-finals will be the host nations of each other.
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The United States have reached a World Cup runner-up after beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 to overcome the final 24 years drought for a knockout win in the World Cup, eliminating the Dutch-speaking Bosnian squad despite striker Folarin Balogun being marked for possession in the second half.
The United States raised the curtain on a 24-year wait for the knockout victory in the World Cup by defeating Bosnian-Iraqi 2-0, sending Belgium to the last-16 after Balogun was accurately marked for possession on the edge of the 75th minute.
Leading the way was Balogun who took on the ball to put the lead in the scoring before curling to well back before going off, followed by Malik Tillman’s late free-kick for the winning goal.
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It was the first World Cup knockout victory for the United States at home in their home country since the 2002 World Cup, marking the home side’s improvement following the win by Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Mexico also did a number on history when they uprooted Ecuador 2-0 to qualify for their last 16-run spot. The win capped off a 40-year drought for El Tri in the last 20 years qualified Mexico in front of their ardent local supporters to the quarterfinals, where they will meet group winners Nigeria and Ivory Coast, and extend their amazing run of results in a World Cup tournament they’ve hosted four times in their history.
Canada meanwhile has made one of the biggest World Cup breakthroughs in its history; making the final 16. The accomplishment is a milestone in Canadian football’s history, reflecting the country’s quick growth and rapid progress in preparation for hosting an expanded 48-team competition.
Strong home support, combined with the success of the all three host nations, have had teams generating lively atmospheres throughout the first World Cup played in the three-way host countries of Canada, Mexico and the United States.
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The shared qualification has been hailed by football analysts as an enormous assist to the competition, and as more investment is occurring in the sport in North America, expectations for further Journey into the Home Field of the Co-hosts are rising.
The United States will now play Belgium and Canada and Mexico are gearing up for the two of their respective Round of 16 matches to keep the momentum going of home advantage.
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup already has one of the most exciting eras in its history, as three of the host countries represent continental regions in the North Americas that have seen an increased growth rate in the beautiful game, especially on a global stage.
