Anything can happen at the World Cup, and Friday’s 32-round match was perhaps the biggest disappointment in the history of the World Cup. Almost.
Argentina recorded a dramatic 3-2 win over Cape Verde in a fan-favorite Cinderella story. The game was tied for much of the second half to force extra time – one from Lionel Messi and an equalizer from Deroy Duarte – but the goals kept coming.
Argentine Lisandro Martinez scored in the first couple of minutes of extra time, but Cape Verde’s Sidney Lopez Cabral equalized in the 103rd minute.
And then the current world champions intervened. Dinay Borges scored in the 111th minute and Argentina held on for a 3–2 victory.
What’s next for Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup? Here’s a look at which team Argentina will face in the round of 16 and their potential path to reaching the World Cup finals.
Who will Argentina play in the 1/8 finals?
After beating Cape Verde in the round of 16, Argentina will play Egypt, who beat Australia on penalties in the round of 16 on Friday.
The Argentina-Egypt match will take place at Atlanta Stadium on Tuesday, July 7 at noon ET on FOX and FOX One.
Who would Argentina play in the quarter-finals?
If Argentina beat Egypt in the round of 16, it has two possible opponents to play in the quarterfinals: Switzerland, who beat Algeria in the round of 16 to qualify, and Colombia, who beat Ghana in the round of 16.
If Argentina advances, the quarterfinal match will take place at Kansas City Stadium on Saturday, July 11 at 9:00 pm ET on FOX and FOX One.
Who would Argentina play in the semi-finals?
Should Argentina reach the World Cup semi-finals, they have four possible opponents: the winner of England versus Mexico or the winner of Brazil versus Norway.
If Argentina proceeds, its semifinal match will take place at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday, July 15 at 3:00 pm ET on FOX and FOX One.