On the ultimate day of the Round of 32, the World Cup introduced soccer followers with loads of recollections.
Between Argentina surviving a possible beautiful upset by Cape Verde – a small African island nation making its World Cup debut – to Colombia defeating Ghana, and Egypt doing one thing it has by no means completed earlier than on this event, it has been a day to keep in mind.
Here’s everything to know about Friday’s Round of 32 matches:
Argentina survives tiny Cape Verde’s spirited challenge and advances to the Round of 16
Argentina is respiratory a sigh of reduction after surviving probably the most exceptional challenge from tiny Cape Verde within the first knockout spherical of the 2026 World Cup, escaping with a late aim to win 3-2 and advance to the Round of 16.
It was a matchup between the world champions and a tiny African island nation that has fewer folks than Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The hole between the 2 nations, when it comes to soccer historical past and uncooked expertise, couldn’t have been extra stark.
And but, not solely did Cape Verde take Argentina to further time, however they got here inside inches of forcing Lionel Messi and his compatriots into the coin toss that may be a penalty kick shootout.
The most dramatic 120 minutes of this World Cup started was anticipated: With Argentina on the entrance foot.
Cape Verde was underneath siege nearly instantly because the Argentinians held almost all of the possession by the primary quarter-hour of the match. It may need been sufficient time for the Blue Sharks to begin dreaming of holding one other high group to a clear sheet – however this one has Lionel Messi.
The Argentine legend unlocked the Cape Verde protection within the twenty ninth minute, controlling a protracted diagonal go with one contact within the field and promptly flicking it over the top of a charging Vozinha. The ball hit the roof of the web and it was 1-0 Argentina, sending the closely partisan crowd in Miami Gardens right into a frenzy.
The breakthrough prolonged Messi’s file together with his twentieth World Cup aim, his seventh aim of the 2026 event and continued his file streak of consecutive World Cup video games with a aim, now at eight.
While that aim burst the bubble of optimism for Cape Verde, it didn’t lead to an onslaught of Argentinian targets. La Albiceleste created extra probabilities however couldn’t get previous the viral sensation in web or the stout Cape Verdean protection earlier than the halftime whistle blew.
As the second half started, Cape Verde continued to maintain off the Argentinians and managed a few alternatives on the opposition’s aim, although nothing that overly troubled Emiliano Martínez.
And then a thunderclap struck in Miami because the Blue Sharks bit within the 59th minute.
Ryan Mendes handed a ball by an Argentine defender’s legs on the correct facet of the Argentinian field to Deroy Duarte, who calmly took a contact and then slammed a shot by one other defender’s legs and then slid it previous Martínez into the web. It was a second that shocked the soccer world as a nation with a inhabitants that roughly has the identical inhabitants as Sacramento, California, drew degree with the reigning world champions.
A couple of minutes later, Messi had a possibility to retake the lead when he was by on aim alone, however Vozinha closed down the area and made a tricky save. It was an indication of issues to come for the Blue Sharks because the Argentines started to twist the screw in quest of a solution.
Vozinha denied Messi once more within the 73rd minute because the Argentine aim scorer took a fast free kick that appeared destined for the higher nook. The second half hydration break got here simply after, as all of the sudden it grew to become obvious {that a} historic state of affairs might be brewing.
The rigidity continued to develop in Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida as Argentina went in quest of a winner as Cape Verde might barely get out of their very own half. An intense second got here within the last minute of normal time as a Messi ball despatched into the field was headed and struck the arm of Pico Lopes of Cape Verde, however the referee dominated there was no penalty as a result of the ball struck Lopes’ head earlier than hitting his arm.
The clock ticked down and Vozinha made yet another crucial save on a Messi free kick, and the Blue Sharks pressured the defending World Cup champions into an additional half-hour to resolve the match.
It didn’t take lengthy into the additional session for Argentina to lastly break the impasse. An Argentine nook kick went lengthy throughout the Cape Verde field after being flicked on and Lissandro Martínez was stationed on the far publish. He managed the ball and fired into the highest shelf on the close to publish over Vozinha’s outstretched palms to make it 2-1.
It appeared to be the dying of a dream for Cape Verde, earlier than probably the most exceptional second of this 2026 World Cup.
In the minutes earlier than the tip of the primary 15 of additional time, Sidny Lopes Cabral of Cape Verde received the ball on the left fringe of the Argentine field. With a couple of toes of area, Cabral took an audacious shot.
It curled. It curled. It saved curling … and it settled neatly into the side-netting past Martínez, tying the sport at 2-2 within the 103rd minute.
After pausing for the intermission between the 15-minute further time halves, Argentina discovered their footing once more and as soon as once more took the lead.
Cristian Romero leapt above the pack within the Cape Verde field to get his head on the tip of a Messi nook. The ball deflected off the hand of a Cape Verde defender and floated over a diving Vozinha, bulging the web to make it 3-2.
It was ultimately dominated to be an personal aim off Cape Verde’s Diney Borges.
The Blue Sharks didn’t go quietly. Another nice try by Cabral, one other curling effort on a free kick, pressured a exceptional save from Martínez to hold holding on to the one-goal lead. The Cape Verdeans saved pushing for an equalizer and got here inside inches on a number of events.
But finally, it was not meant to be. The Blue Sharks have been emotional in defeat and the Argentines knew that they had narrowly averted catastrophe.
It is a recreation that may lengthy reside within the reminiscence of Cape Verdeans and soccer followers world wide, a second when considered one of soccer’s smallest David’s nearly slew its mightiest Goliath.
Egypt is thru to the Round of 16 after defeating Australia in a dramatic penalty shootout on Friday, marking a historic first World Cup knockout-round win for the Pharaohs.
The match completed 1-1 after 120 minutes and Egypt gained 4-2 on penalties.
Egypt opened the scoring within the thirteenth minute by an excellent header from Emam Ashour, who snuck behind the Australian protection and powerfully directed the ball into the underside left nook. Aussie keeper Patrick Beach couldn’t do something about it, such was the standard of the cross from Karim Hafez, with the Aussie protection wanting unprepared to cope with the issue.
Ashour couldn’t cease smiling after the aim. Minutes later, the cameras went again to him, and he was nonetheless grinning at scoring in a World Cup knockout match.
Egypt’s Omar Marmoush got here inside inches of doubling his group’s lead off the opening kickoff of the second half. The Pharaohs did ultimately put the ball into the again of a web, however – to their chagrin – it was their very own.
Off an Australian set piece, Aiden O’Neill despatched a ball into the Egyptian field and it took a deflection off the top of Mohamed Hany and in previous Mostafa Shobeir, offering the equalizer for Australia within the fifty fifth minute.
The recreation settled right into a stalemate over the subsequent half hour as each groups had a pair alternatives, however nobody actually had a clear-cut shot at breaking the impasse.
The save of the match – and probably of the event – got here simply two minutes earlier than the tip of full time when Egypt’s Ramy Rabia received his head on a cross into the Australian field. It appeared to be goal-bound for a late heartbreaker till Beach soared into the air and received a hand on the ball, hitting it over the bar for a nook kick that got here to nothing. Beach’s save saved the sport on degree phrases as further time loomed.
That despatched the match into 30 further minutes to settle issues. There have been no targets to be discovered and the groups started to put together for a shootout. With one minute left in further time, Beach was subbed off in favor of keeper Mathew Ryan, who was seen because the penalty specialist.
The Egyptians took the early 1-0 lead after Mahmoud Saber blasted the ball previous Ryan following an Aussie miss. Jackson Irvine for Australia calmly put his penalty into the highest proper nook to give his group hope, and Ramy Rabia restored Egypt’s benefit with a calmly taken strike. Awer Mabil stepped up subsequent for Australia and slotted his penalty residence earlier than Mohamed Salah walked up for Egypt.
Salah cheekily went down the center, with Ryan unable to block, making it 3-2 to Egypt and piling the strain on Australia. Lucas Herrington was subsequent up for Australia and despatched his shot off the bar, opening the door for Egypt to win the sport on the subsequent kick.
Hossam Abdelmaguid stepped up for Egypt with the prospect to win it. He buried it within the backside left nook.
Arrowhead Stadium hosted the finale of three matches on Friday, and it had nothing to do with Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce’s wedding ceremony with Taylor Swift.
It noticed Colombia cling on to defeat Ghana 1-0 to advance to the Round of 16 on the World Cup.
After a pair accidents pressured each nations to make early substitutions, it was one of many subs who made an nearly immediate impression.
Colombia’s Luis Suárez got here on for Jhon Córdoba after the ahead appeared to harm himself within the eighth minute, and it was Sporting CP ahead who performed an important half in Los Cafeteros’ lead.
Suárez’s cross sailed into the field and landed proper on the toes of John Arias, who then flushed it previous the Ghana goalkeeper for the early aim.
But regardless of the early aim, Ghana didn’t let its foot off the fuel pedal late within the first half and pressured Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas to stand on his toes.
Ghana got here out within the second half swinging for the fences, nevertheless it was Colombia that appeared to discover the again of the web on a Luis Díaz sliding shot, nevertheless it was later dominated offside.
Both groups went back-and-forth with probabilities nevertheless it was the Black Stars that basically held a lot of the momentum within the second half.
At the tip of the day, Colombia’s backline held agency because the nation will head north of the border to Vancouver to face Switzerland on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
The victory extends Colombia’s unbeaten streak to seven matches within the World Cup – successful 5 and drawing two.
This write has been up to date with further info.