Who will Argentina face in Round of 16? Full bracket & path to final for Messi & Co.

2 min readJul 4, 2026 07:01 AM IST

Argentina will face Egypt in the Round of 16.

After surviving a massive scare against Cape Verde, winning a thrilling 3-2 contest that went to extra time on Saturday in Miami, defending champions Argentina booked their place in the Round of 16.

Argentina needed an extra-time own goal to overcome a Cape Verde side with incredible levels of resilience. The Africans, playing in their first World Cup, had twice come from a goal down to silence the Argentinian fans.

It took a goal and an assist off a corner kick from Messi to save mighty Argentina, which got the game-winner midway through the second half of extra time. Messi’s goal was the 20th of his World Cup career, extending his record and moving him two ahead of France’s Kylian Mbappé on the all-time list.

Messi put Argentina ahead in the 29th minute with his seventh goal of the tournament, but Deroy Duarte equalised just before the hour. Lisandro Martínez restored the lead early in extra time, only for Sidny Lopes Cabral to curl in a stunning 103rd-minute equaliser. Romero’s late strike – credited as an own goal – settled the contest.

Standing between them and a quarterfinal spot is Mohamed Salah’s Egypt. The Albiceleste will enter the clash as clear favourites, and should they progress to the last eight, they will face the winner of the Switzerland vs Colombia/Ghana tie.

Colombia and Ghana are currently facing off in the final Round of 32 match, with the game still underway.

Argentina find themselves in the same bracket as Brazil, Norway, Mexico, and England. The winner of Brazil vs Norway will take on the winner of Mexico vs England in the quarterfinals. If Argentina reach the semifinal, they are slated to meet one of these four sides.

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World Cup 2026 Round of 16 Match Schedule

Match No

Date

Round of 16 Match

Time (IST)

Venue

89

July 4

Canada vs Morocco

10:30 PM

Houston

90

July 5

Paraguay vs France

2:30 AM

Philadelphia

91

July 6

Brazil vs Norway

1:30 AM

East Rutherford

92

July 6

Mexico vs England

5:30 AM

Mexico City

93

July 7

Portugal vs Spain

12:30 AM

Arlington

94

July 7

United States vs Belgium

5:30 AM

Seattle

95

July 7

Argentina vs Egypt

9:30 PM

Atlanta

96

July 8

Switzerland vs Colombia/Ghana

1:30 AM

Vancouver