The World Cup 2026 knockout stage is nearly set. After three games Friday, the Round of 32 will be done and we’ll have our full 16-team bracket for the rest of the tournament. Spain, Portugal and Switzerland already punched their tickets. Now it’s Argentina’s turn to show up.
Here’s what you need to know for July 3, 2026.
Friday’s Matchups
Australia vs. Egypt — Dallas, Texas — 2 p.m. ET (FOX, Telemundo)
Odds to advance: Australia +125, Egypt -155
Argentina vs. Cabo Verde — Miami, Florida — 6 p.m. ET (FOX, Telemundo)
Odds to advance: Argentina -3500, Cabo Verde +1200
Colombia vs. Ghana — Kansas City, Missouri — 9:30 p.m. ET (FOX, Telemundo)
Odds to advance: Colombia -575, Ghana +400
Is Egypt for Real or Just Hype?
Egypt started the tournament with a draw against Belgium that turned heads. Then they beat New Zealand 3-1 and people started talking. But a 1-1 draw with Iran in the group finale — and failing to get the goal they needed to win the group — kind of put things in perspective.
So now Egypt gets Australia, a tough but beatable team, in the Round of 32. We know Mohamed Salah is there, obviously. But who else is stepping up? Omar Marmoush started the first two games when Egypt looked impressive, then came off the bench in the third match. That happened after Salah came off too, by the way, so their two best players weren’t even on the field together. Egypt is good enough to make a run here, but they have to figure it out fast.
The Battle Nobody Expected: Messi vs. Vozinha
Lionel Messi vs. a 40-year-old goalkeeper from an island nation of about 500,000 people. That’s the Friday night headliner in Miami.
Cabo Verde’s Vozinha has been arguably the story of this World Cup. The veteran keeper helped his team draw with Spain in the opener and then survive a group that included Uruguay. Now he gets the defending champs and the biggest star in the sport. Argentina got the easiest possible knockout bracket path — they should roll to the semifinals without breaking a sweat. Messi already has six goals and could add to that total here. Vegas has Argentina at -3500 to advance. That’s not a typo.
Chances are this ends something like 4-0 Argentina. But Cabo Verde has already shown they can hang with elite teams. So who knows?
Colombia vs. Ghana: The Only Real Threat to Argentina?
If Argentina gets past Cabo Verde — and they will — the next opponent is either Egypt or Australia, then likely Switzerland or whoever wins this Colombia-Ghana game. Out of that whole bracket half, Colombia and Ghana are the only teams that look like they could give Argentina an actual game.
Colombia has been solid, beating Uzbekistan and DR Congo and drawing with a Portugal team that looked weaker than expected. Ghana’s been more up and down: beat Panama, drew England, lost to Croatia. Colombia has the better talent. But Ghana plays that defense-first, grind-you-down style that can be annoying to deal with for 90 minutes.
Either way, this Friday night matchup in Kansas City is worth watching. These are the only two teams in this quadrant of the bracket that have any real shot at knocking off the defending champions.
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