Friday, July 3rd delivered three dramatic Round of 32 finishes at the FIFA World Cup 2026, with two ties needing extra time or penalties before the bracket for the Round of 16 was finally settled.
Egypt survived a scare from Australia, drawing 1-1 after Ashour’s 13th-minute opener was cancelled out by a 55th-minute own goal from Hany, before the Pharaohs held their nerve to win 4-2 on penalties.
Argentina were pushed all the way by Cape Verde in a 3-2 extra-time thriller. Messi put Argentina ahead in the 29th minute, Cape Verde levelled through Duarte in the 59th, Martinez restored the lead deep in stoppage time, Lopes Cabral forced extra time with a 103rd-minute equalizer, and an own goal from Borges in the 111th minute finally settled it.
Colombia completed the day’s results with the tightest scoreline, edging past Ghana 1-0 on the back of a 14th-minute strike from Arias that held up under second-half pressure.
With those results locked in, the Round of 16 bracket is now taking shape alongside the rest of the tournament’s last-32 fixtures, setting up a fresh round of blockbuster matchups across the knockout stage.
VIRA Broadcasting will have full coverage of the Round of 16 draw, schedule, and match previews as the World Cup 2026 knockout stage continues to unfold.