Padraig Whelan · 3 July 2026

And that concludes the Round of 32 — we now have our final 16 teams confirmed. Thank you and good night! Join us tomorrow for more thrilling World Cup action.

Ghana supporters, you may want to look away.

FULL-TIME: Colombia 1-0 Ghana

The South American side narrowly advanced despite six minutes of stoppage time for Ghana to find an equaliser, a scenario that has become all too familiar in this World Cup.

Colombian fans cheered once more as Luis Díaz was substituted off late on.

The whistles started ringing around the stadium as the clock approached 90 minutes.

ANOTHER CHANCE!

Juan Fernando Quintero unleashed a fierce strike dipping towards the near post — just a foot away from doubling Colombia’s advantage.

CHANCE!

Lawrence Ati Zigi continued to be Ghana’s saviour, producing another reflex stop after an awkward header threatened his goal.

Big substitution for Ghana — Jordan Ayew left the pitch, handing over the captain’s armband. Both teams now without their captains.

Tensions rose as yellow cards began to appear.

Colombia’s goalscorer Jhon Arias made way for Quintero.

Ghana also made changes, replacing Kwasi Sibo with Elisha Owusu and Iñaki Williams with Abdul Fatawu.

Players took a hydration break as the final stretch approached.

With half an hour remaining, extra-time seemed possible — as has often been the case in this 2026 edition.

GOAL RULED OUT!

The crowd in Kansas City erupted as Luis Díaz thought he had scored, but the flag went up for offside, keeping it 1-0. Moments later, he missed another gilt-edged chance.

SAVE!

Gustavo Puerta attempted a curling strike reminiscent of Cabo Verde’s Sidny Lopes Cabral’s effort against Argentina, but Zigi parried it away.

The Manchester City midfielder’s first-half performance had been outstanding.

CHANCE!

Antoine Semenyo created another opportunity for Ghana from the left flank, flashing a dangerous ball across the face of goal, but no teammate could apply the finishing touch.

A worrying statistic for Ghana: they have yet to record a shot on target in any first half of this World Cup.

Electric scenes inside the stadium.

With James Rodríguez substituted at half-time, Colombia turned to others to carry the creative burden.

SECOND HALF UNDERWAY!

HALF-TIME – Colombia 1-0 Ghana

The first half flew by, dominated entirely by Colombia, who carried a slender lead into the break.

WHAT A SAVE!

Daniel Muñoz delivered a cross from the right to Johan Mojica, whose header was destined for goal before Zigi produced a brilliant save.

Six minutes of added time were announced.

Semenyo continued to battle for Ghana, largely on his own.

Bayern’s forward missed a key chance earlier — a warning shot indeed.

Luis Díaz found space on the left and fired into the side netting.

Only three African nations — Egypt, Morocco, and Ghana — remained before this match. Ghana’s exit leaves just two.

The South Americans held firm at 1-0 as Ghana’s threat faded.

Iñaki Williams combined with Semenyo for a rare Ghana attack, earning them a corner.

Colombia’s dominance was clear — 227 passes completed to Ghana’s 45.

Play resumed after another short pause.

Hydration breaks were necessary in the humid conditions.

📸 Carl Recine – 2026 Getty Images

Notably, this was the first World Cup match in history to feature two substitutions within the opening 13 minutes.

GOAL! 14’ – Colombia 1-0 Ghana

Kansas City erupted as Jhon Arias struck first, finishing calmly into the bottom corner after being left unmarked. The assist came from substitute Luis Suárez — who had replaced the injured Jhon Córdoba earlier.

Moments later, Ghana suffered their own injury blow as Marvin Senaya limped off in defence.

Suárez’s early introduction had already changed the rhythm of the game.

The atmosphere inside the stadium was electric from kickoff.

KICK-OFF!

The action began with Thomas Partey testing the Colombian keeper almost immediately.

And once again, a word of praise for Ghana’s Zigi — outstanding throughout.

Line-ups were confirmed before kick-off, and expectations were high.

Next up, attention turned to Miami.

FULL-TIME: Argentina 3-2 Cabo Verde – What a Game!

In one of the most astonishing World Cup matches ever, defending champions Argentina were pushed to the final whistle by the spirited African side.

Few will forget such drama — a showcase of football’s raw emotion.

Cabo Verde pressed hard in stoppage time, forcing Argentina to defend desperately.

Amid the chaos, Lionel Messi added yet another record to his glittering career.

GOAL ARGENTINA! THEY RETAKE THE LEAD!

Miami erupted again as Messi’s corner was headed home by Cristian Romero, restoring Argentina’s advantage.

With ten minutes to go, a penalty shootout seemed possible, but Cabo Verde’s resilience kept things tense.

At half-time in extra-time, the score remained level — a potential upset still on the cards.

Goalkeeper Vozinha denied Messi once again with a superb save.

GOAL CABO VERDE! THEY’VE PULLED LEVEL AGAIN!

Sidny Lopes Cabral unleashed a stunning strike to make it 2-2 in extra-time, sending the crowd into disbelief.

GOAL ARGENTINA!

Lisandro Martínez restored Argentina’s lead with a thunderous finish after a loose ball fell kindly in the box.

Extra-time kicked off with both sides pushing forward.

WE’RE HEADED TO EXTRA-TIME!

Cabo Verde held firm through regulation, forcing a dramatic additional 30 minutes.

Messi nearly produced another trademark moment from a free-kick, but Vozinha denied him.

In the closing stages, Argentina demanded a penalty after a handball claim, but VAR ruled no foul.

Cabo Verde’s Roberto Lopes almost scored an own goal, narrowly deflecting wide.

Vozinha’s reflexes continued to frustrate the world champions.

Despite Argentina’s dominance, Cabo Verde refused to fade away.

GOAL CABO VERDE! WHAT A MOMENT!

Deroy Duarte equalised from a tight angle, sparking emotional celebrations among Cabo Verde fans. It was a storybook World Cup moment.

Argentina’s earlier breakthrough came courtesy of Messi’s clinical finish — vintage as always.

Even with long spells of Argentine possession, Cabo Verde’s defence held firm.

HALF-TIME: Argentina 1-0 Cabo Verde

Messi’s goal separated the sides at the break, but Cabo Verde would not go quietly.

GOAL ARGENTINA, GOAL MESSI!

The Argentine captain delivered yet another masterclass, lifting the ball into the top corner to open the scoring.

FT in ET: Australia 1-1 Egypt

Egypt eventually triumphed 4-2 on penalties after a tense 120 minutes.

Patrick Beach produced key saves for Australia, but Mohamed Salah and Hossam Abdelmaguid held their nerve from the spot.

Egypt’s victory made history, sealing their place in the final 16.

GOAL! EGYPT!

Mostafa Ziko’s header from close range had given Egypt the first-half lead, with Salah instrumental in the build-up.

Australia equalised through a Mohamed Hany own goal, forcing extra-time.

Neither side could find a winner in the additional period, and penalties followed.

Under immense pressure, Salah coolly converted his penalty to edge Egypt closer to victory, before Abdelmaguid sealed it.

Egypt’s triumph over Australia capped another dramatic day at the 2026 World Cup.