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This Friday marks the end of the first elimination round of the with three matches that will determine the last spots in the round of 16: Australia vs. Egypt, Argentina vs. Cape Verde, and Colombia vs. Ghana will complete a high-stakes day.
The action kicks off at 2:00 PM Cuba time at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, where Australia will attempt to break a historic curse: the Socceroos have never won a knockout match in a World Cup.
His rival, Egypt, reached this stage as the runner-up of 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 matchup a battle between two teams chasing historic milestones.
At 6:00 PM Cuba time, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Argentina will play its first knockout match in the tournament.
The Albiceleste arrives in great form: they topped Group J with a perfect score, nine points and eight goals in favor, including a 3-0 victory over Algeria, a 2-0 win against Austria, and a 3-1 triumph over Jordan with rotations.
Lionel Messi has accumulated six goals in the tournament and is now the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 19 goals, surpassing the record set by Miroslav Klose.
In front will be Cabo Verde, the tournament's great revelation: in its first World Cup appearance, the nation of just 500,000 inhabitants qualified undefeated from Group H, ahead of Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, with three draws that included a valuable 0-0 against Spain.
The winner of this match will face the winner of the clash between Australia and Egypt in the round of 16.
Colombia will close the day at 21:30 Cuban time at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, where it will face Ghana in search of a place among the top 16 teams in the tournament.
The team led by Néstor Lorenzo topped Group K with seven points, demonstrating intense play with high pressure and offensive circuits that had already dazzled during the 2024 Copa América.
Ghana reached this stage as one of the eight best third-placed teams in the tournament, having earned four points after defeating Panama, drawing with England, and losing to Croatia.
Las Estrellas Negras will rely on their defensive solidity and counterattack speed to surprise one of the South American title contenders.
The events of this Friday follow an intense day in which Portugal eliminated Croatia with a last-minute goal from Gonçalo Ramos, Spain triumphed 3-0 against Austria, and Switzerland defeated Algeria 2-0 to advance to the round of 16.
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