Norway await Ivory Coast in the Round of 32

Round of 32 set: Ivory Coast draw Norway

Done. That was fast. France demolished Norway in their final group match, which means your Round of 32 opponent on June 30 is confirmed: Norway (2). No waiting, no permutations, the bracket locked in less than 24 hours after the Germany loss. Norway's defense got ripped apart by a Dembélé hat-trick and now they walk straight into your team with knockout football on the line.

Schweinsteiger in firestorm over "savage football" comment

Bastian Schweinsteiger tried to walk it back. He cannot. The former Germany midfielder called African football "un football un peu sauvage", a bit savage, during broadcast analysis of an Ivory Coast World Cup match (1). The backlash was immediate and his attempted clarification has not calmed anything. The comment landed as your team were earning respect for pushing Germany to the edge, making the timing even uglier.

Fan reactions

The mood is confident. Ivorian fans on Reddit see a winnable path through Norway, with one supporter calling the draw "a golden ticket to the quarterfinals" given how badly Norway looked against France. The broader sentiment: the Schweinsteiger comments have only added fuel. Fans want the team to make him eat those words on the pitch.