Switzerland's Statement Win and Ronaldinho's Italian Return
Switzerland sent a jolt through the tournament on Wednesday, turning a tricky Group B decider into a statement. The Nati beat Canada 2-1, not just edging past them on the night but ripping top spot out of their hands.
It was a win with consequences. Canada, who had looked in control of the section, were pushed into second. Switzerland, disciplined and ruthless when it mattered, walked away as group winners and with the kind of momentum that can carry a team deep into a World Cup.
Bosnia and Herzegovina seized their own moment. A 3-1 victory over Qatar did more than brighten their mood; it all but pushed them through among the best third-placed sides. Three goals, three points, and suddenly a complicated group-stage equation looks simple: they should be in the Round of 16.
Mexico didn’t need calculators either. They completed a perfect group phase with a commanding 3-0 win over the Czech Republic, three wins from three and not a hint of doubt about who ruled their section. Behind them, South Africa slipped past South Korea with a tight 1-0 success, enough to jump their rivals in the standings and change the shape of the group at the last possible moment.
Germany, already safely through, now chase something more subtle on Thursday: rhythm, authority, and a clean sweep. Ecuador stand in their way, but the brief is straightforward – make it three wins from three and stride into the knockouts with the air of a contender rather than a survivor.
In Group E, Ivory Coast sit in a position every coach craves: control. Second in the table, the Elephants know exactly what they need against Curaçao on Thursday. A draw will do. Ninety focused minutes and their World Cup journey continues.
France are already there. Les Bleus have booked their ticket to the Round of 16 and can finally breathe, at least a little. Against Norway on Friday, rotation is coming, with as many as five changes expected as the coaching staff look to protect legs and sharpen the wider squad.
One constant remains. Kylian Mbappé, four goals in two games and already the defining figure of France’s campaign, is set to start again. Form like that is hard to bench.
And then, away from the group tables and permutations, came a headline that belongs to another era and yet is very much of this one. Ronaldinho, the Brazilian icon whose smile and swagger once bent World Cups to his will, has officially signed for Italian third-division side Ravenna.
It is a move that raises eyebrows and pulses in equal measure. A marketing masterstroke or the spark of a genuine late-career return? The 2022 World Cup winner will be unveiled on August 21, when Ravenna present their new signing.
Only then will it start to become clear whether this is nostalgia dressed as ambition, or the beginning of one of the most unlikely comebacks modern football has seen.
