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This Friday marks the end of the first qualifying round of the with three matches that will determine the final spots for the Round of 16: Australia-Egypt, Argentina-Cape Verde, and Colombia-Ghana will round out a high-stakes day.
The action starts at 14:00 Cuba time at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, where Australia will try to break a historic curse: the Socceroos have never won a knockout match in a World Cup.
Their rival, Egypt, reached this stage as the second in Group G due to goal difference compared to Belgium, after drawing 1-1 with the Red Devils, defeating New Zealand 3-1, and finishing with another 1-1 against Iran.
Led by Mohamed Salah, the Africans dream of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time, making this clash a battle between two teams chasing historical milestones.
At 6:00 PM Cuba time, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Argentina will play its first knockout match in the tournament.
The Albiceleste arrives in a state of grace: they topped Group J with a perfect score, nine points and eight goals in favor, including a 3-0 victory against Algeria, a 2-0 win over Austria, and a 3-1 match against Jordan with rotations.
Lionel Messi has scored six goals in the tournament and is now the all-time top scorer in World Cups with 19 goals, surpassing Miroslav Klose's record.
In front will be Cabo Verde, the tournament's big surprise: in its first World Cup participation, the nation of just 500,000 inhabitants qualified undefeated from Group H, ahead of Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, with three draws including a valuable 0-0 against Spain.
The winner of this match will face the victor of the clash between Australia and Egypt in the round of sixteen.
Colombia will close the day at 9:30 PM Cuba time at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, where it will face Ghana in search of a spot among the top 16 teams of the tournament.
The team of Néstor Lorenzo topped Group K with seven points, demonstrating intense play with high pressing and offensive circuits that had already dazzled in the 2024 Copa América.
Ghana, for its part, reached this stage as one of the eight best third-placed teams in the tournament, with four points earned after defeating Panama, drawing with England, and losing to Croatia.
The Black Stars will rely on their defensive solidity and counter-attacking speed to surprise one of the South American candidates for the title.
The day this Friday follows an intense eve during which Portugal eliminated Croatia with a goal from Gonçalo Ramos in the last minute, Spain defeated Austria 3-0, and Switzerland triumphed 2-0 over Algeria to advance to the round of 16.
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