Lionel Messi’s Argentina will resume their bid to defend their FIFA World Cup 2026 title as they kickstart the knockout stages of the tournament against Cape Verde on Friday (July 3) at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The African country stunned the world by going unbeaten in their group and finishing second with three points. They managed to draw against former champions Spain and Uruguay as well as Saudi Arabia.
The three-time champions will next play the winner of the clash between Australia and Egypt. If they manage to reach the quarter-finals, they will play one of Colombia, Ghana, Switzerland, or Ghana. If they further reach the semi-finals, they will play either of France, England, Brazil, Ivory Coast, Norway, Mexico, or Ecuador.
Argentina’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Knockout Fixtures
Round of 32 vs Cape Verde in Miami on July 3 at 3:00 AM IST (July 4)
Round of 16 (if they win round of 32) in Atalanta vs Australia/Egypt on July 4 at 9:30 PM IST (July 7)
Quarter-Final (if they win Round of 16) in Kansas vs Colombia, Ghana, Switzerland, or Ghana on July 11 at 6:30 AM IST (July 12)
Semi-final (if they win Quarter-final) in Atalanta vs France/England/Brazil/Ivory Coast/Norway/Mexico/Ecuador on July 15 at 12:30 AM IST (July 16)
Final (if they win semi-final) in New Jersey vs Germany/Paraguay/France/Sweden/Canada/Netherlands/Morocco/Portgual/Croatia/Spain/Austria/USA/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Belgium/Senegal
Argentina Avoid Tough Path
Argentina was earlier projected to face either one-time champions Spain or two-time winners Uruguay in the Round of 32 itself as they were drawn against the runner-up of Group H. However, the European champions topped the group, while the South Americans were knocked out in a major upset.
Meanwhile, a blockbuster clash that would have seen Messi’s Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the quarter-finals also will not happen as originally expected as Robert Martinez’s men finished second in their group.
Argentina also did themselves a major favor by not finishing first, as a second-place finish would have set up a round of 32 clash against Spain and a match against either Portugal or Croatia in the Round of 16.
The 2022 winners are looking to create history and become the first team in 62 years to defend the title.
