World Cup Round of 32: Argentina-Cape Verde, Colombia-Ghana And Australia-Egypt Close The Last-32 Round

World Cup 2026Round of 32Arlington

The day opens under the roof in Arlington with two nations chasing history. Australia reached the knockout round after finishing second in their group behind co-hosts the United States, a run built on a 2-0 win over Turkiye and a draw with Paraguay, and the Socceroos arrive with the physical, well-drilled identity that has become their tournament trademark. What they have never done is win a World Cup knockout match, having fallen to Italy in 2006 and to Argentina in 2022, so the stakes for this generation are clearly defined at AT&T Stadium.

Egypt landed here as a Group G runner-up on the back of the first World Cup win in their history, a 3-1 result over New Zealand bookended by two draws. Their storyline runs through Mohamed Salah, whose fitness drew heavy pre-match attention even as reporting pointed toward him starting, and a fully firing Salah changes the ceiling of this Egypt side entirely. The tactical question is whether Australia's compact block and set-piece strength can smother Egypt's transition threat, or whether one moment of Salah quality decides a tie between two teams meeting at a World Cup for the very first time. The winner moves on to face the survivor of the later Argentina match.

World Cup 2026Round of 32Marquee

The marquee tie of the day is a genuine David-and-Goliath meeting in Miami Gardens. Reigning world champions Argentina arrive as one of the tournament's leading title contenders, and the headline act is whether Lionel Messi starts on one of the biggest stages left in his international career. Argentina bring the balance of elite individual quality and knockout-tested composure that makes them favorites in any tie, and Hard Rock Stadium will feel close to a home fixture given the size of the Argentine following in South Florida.

Cape Verde are the fairy tale of the round. One of the smallest nations ever to reach a World Cup knockout stage, the archipelago side went unbeaten in the group, finishing runner-up to Spain in Group H behind a 0-0 draw with the Spanish and a battling 2-2 draw with two-time champions Uruguay. That is not the profile of a team content just to be here. Their route to a shock is disciplined organization, deep defending and belief that they can frustrate a favorite the way they already frustrated Spain. Argentina's job is to break down a compact block without inviting the transition moments that Cape Verde have shown they can punish, which is exactly the kind of test a champion must pass to go deep.

World Cup 2026Round of 32Kansas City

The nightcap in Kansas City pairs an in-form South American side with a resilient African outsider. Colombia won Group K and enter among the more settled teams left in the draw, carrying strong recent form that was capped by a 0-0 draw with Portugal to clinch first place. Los Cafeteros are compact, technically sharp and comfortable controlling a match, and they will fancy their chances of dictating tempo in the warm Missouri conditions expected at Arrowhead Stadium.

Ghana are the lowest-ranked side remaining in the Round of 32, having advanced from Group L in third place, but reaching the knockout stage is itself a milestone for this rebuilt Black Stars group. There is a compelling subplot on the touchline: Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz previously managed Colombia, giving him an intimate read on his opponent's tendencies. Ghana's path is to stay organized, absorb Colombian pressure and hit on the counter with their pace, while Colombia will look to move the ball quickly, stretch a Ghana defense that has been the group's most tested, and avoid getting dragged into the kind of transition game that suits the underdog. The winner advances to meet Switzerland in Vancouver.