The FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 concludes on July 3, and the day's schedule delivers three fixtures packed with star power, tactical intrigue, and genuine African interest — with Mohamed Salah's Egypt, Ghana's Black Stars, and debutants Cape Verde all in action.

Australia vs Egypt — can Salah play through the pain?

The day opens at AT&T; Stadium with Australia taking on Egypt. The Socceroos rode a convincing 2-0 win over Turkey to reach the knockout rounds, though their attacking momentum has since been muted by a couple of shutouts. Egypt arrive carrying injury concerns, most notably a hamstring problem sidelining Salah — and the Pharaohs will need their squad to step up in his absence or reduced capacity.

Argentina vs Cape Verde — Messi faces the Sharks

The tournament's marquee clash of the evening pits holders Argentina against Cape Verde at Hard Rock Stadium. La Albiceleste were imperious in the group stage, with Messi producing six goals — including a first World Cup hat-trick — across three routine victories. Cape Verde's journey here is a remarkable feat under coach Bubista: goalkeeper Vozinha kept back-to-back clean sheets and the Sharks showed real attacking bite in their 2-2 draw with Uruguay. The crowd at Hard Rock Stadium, however, is expected to be overwhelmingly pro-Argentina, making the atmosphere a mountain to climb for the underdogs.

Colombia vs Ghana — the final tie of the round

Saturday's early hours bring Colombia and Ghana together at Arrowhead Stadium in a contest that features two of the most electrifying wide players in this tournament: Luis Diaz and Antoine Semenyo. Diaz has operated within a more disciplined system under Colombia's setup — Los Cafeteros topped Group K ahead of Portugal and have conceded just once throughout the group stage. For Ghana, coach Carlos Queiroz deserves credit for marshalling the Black Stars into the knockouts on the strength of their defensive structure, even if Semenyo's attacking brilliance has been held partly in check in service of the team.

Where to watch

Fans in the UK can stream all three matches free on BBC or ITV. Australian viewers have access to every game via SBS On Demand at no cost. In the US, coverage is available on FOX and FS1 through platforms including Fox One, YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Fubo, Sling, and DirecTV. Irish fans can watch on RTÉ Player. Selected free-to-air coverage is also available in France on M6, in Germany on ARD and ZDF, in the Netherlands on NOS, and in Brazil via CazeTV on YouTube.