World Cup Round of 32 Continues July 3 With Argentina vs Cape Verde, Australia vs Egypt

The 2026 FIFA World Cup moves into the final three matches of the Round of 32 on Friday, July 3. Argentina faces Cape Verde at 6 p.m. ET in Miami Gardens, Australia takes on Egypt at 2 p.m. ET in Arlington, Texas, and Colombia battles Ghana at 9:30 p.m. ET in Kansas City. These are the last knockout fixtures before the tournament narrows to 16 teams.

Argentina enters as one of the tournament favorites. Cape Verde is the Cinderella story—the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup knockout round in its tournament debut. Neither team has won a World Cup knockout match in their respective histories, but Argentina has far more experience playing in matches where the pressure is maximum. For Cape Verde, this is already a massive achievement.

Australia vs Egypt: Injury Concerns in Egypt’s Backline

Egypt faces problems before kickoff. Captain Mohamed Salah left the field with a hamstring strain during the group stage finale against Iran. Left-back Ahmed Fatouh and central defender Mohamed Abdelmonem are doubtful. Egypt’s defense is thin, and Australia needs to exploit that vulnerability.

Australia has struggled to score. The team netted only one goal across the group stage—a 2-0 opening win over Turkey followed by 2-0 loss to the United States and a 0-0 draw with Paraguay. Scoring is the Socceroos’ problem. Against an injury-weakened Egypt, they have an opening.

Argentina vs Cape Verde: The Massive Upset Bid

Cape Verde drew all three group stage matches. Three draws in a row is remarkable—it means they never lost but never won. They scraped through on goal differential. Argentina, by contrast, dominated Group B. If Argentina plays its normal game, Cape Verde goes home. If Argentina gets complacent, Cape Verde pulls off what would be the greatest World Cup knockout upset in decades.

Messi will be on the field for Argentina, likely in his final World Cup. The pressure on Cape Verde is zero. On Argentina, it’s immense. That alone could swing the match.

Colombia vs Ghana: West African Resistance

Ghana reached the knockout rounds but sits as the tournament’s biggest underdog in this round. Colombia qualified ahead of stronger competition. Both teams have speed and counter-attacking ability. This should be a tight, open match where one mistake ends someone’s tournament.

The Round of 32 closes Friday. After these three matches, the World Cup becomes single-elimination. One mistake, one injury, one unlucky bounce, and your team’s summer ends.