Photo: Reuters
The Last Spots in the Round of 16
The final matchday of the Round of 32 turned out to be one of the most intense of the tournament.
The Egyptian national team won a World Cup knockout match for the first time in its history, defeating Australia in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw. Neither regulation nor extra time produced a winner, but in the penalty shootout, the Egyptians converted all four of their attempts, securing a historic advance to the next round.
The match between Argentina and Cape Verde was no less dramatic. The African team, which had become one of the tournament’s biggest surprises, came back twice during the match and forced the game into extra time. It wasn’t until the 111th minute that Argentina managed to snatch a 3–2 victory, keeping their hopes alive of defending their championship title.
Lionel Messi scored the first goal of the game, marking his 20th goal in World Cup finals and solidifying his lead in the scoring race. Moreover, this was his seventh goal of the tournament, allowing the great Argentine to once again take sole possession of the lead in the 2026 World Cup scoring race.
In the third match of the day, Colombia defeated Ghana 1–0. The only goal was scored early in the match, after which the South American team managed to hold on to its narrow lead and became the final team to advance to the Round of 16.
The expansion to 48 teams has already proven its worth
The round of 32 was the first in World Cup history following the tournament’s expansion to 48 teams. The new format has already produced several major upsets.
One of the biggest surprises was Cape Verde’s performance, which nearly knocked the reigning world champion—Argentina—out of the tournament. Another surprise was the advancement of Morocco and Paraguay, which defeated the Netherlands and Germany, respectively, only in penalty shootouts.
Egypt achieved a historic milestone by winning its first-ever World Cup knockout match. Meanwhile, teams from all of the world’s leading soccer regions remain in the Round of 16, promising fierce competition in the next stage.
Round of 16 Matchups
Based on the results of the Round of 32, the following matchups have been determined:
Canada vs. Morocco;
Paraguay vs. France;
Brazil vs. Norway;
Mexico vs. England;
Portugal vs. Spain;
United States vs. Belgium;
Argentina vs. Egypt;
Switzerland vs. Colombia.
The Round of 16 matches will begin on July 4 and run through July 7. The winners will advance to the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
