The first round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoffs has concluded. The remaining teams for the next stage were determined in the final three matches of the round of 32. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
Egypt defeated Australia 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular and extra time. The Egyptians reached the playoffs for the fourth time in their history, having failed to advance from the group stage in 1990 and 2018 without a single win.
Argentina narrowly beat tournament debutants Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time. Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 29th minute, but the island nation equalized twice. For Cape Verde, with a population of about 500,000, this is their first World Cup, and advancing from the group stage is already a historic achievement.
Colombia defeated Ghana 1-0 in Kansas City, with John Arias scoring the only goal in the 14th minute. Ghana failed to register a single shot on target throughout the match.
The round of 16 matches (games will be held from July 4 to 7): - Paraguay vs France - Canada vs Morocco - Brazil vs Norway - Mexico vs England - Portugal vs Spain - USA vs Belgium - Argentina vs Egypt - Switzerland vs Colombia