World Cup Day 23: Messi's Argentina and Underdogs in the Spotlight
The Round of 32 closes on Friday with three very different stories scattered across the United States: two nations chasing a first-ever knockout win, a defending champion led by a 39‑year‑old phenomenon, and a South American side that looks ready to bully its way into the tournament’s inner circle.
All of it unfolds with Lionel Messi’s Argentina planted squarely in the middle of the day, framed by high‑stakes tests in Dallas and Kansas City.
Dallas: A First Taste of Knockout Glory for Australia or Egypt
Australia vs. Egypt
2 p.m. ET | Dallas Stadium, Dallas, TX
For Australia and Egypt, this is uncharted territory. Neither has ever won a World Cup knockout match. That changes for someone in Dallas.
Australia slipped out of Group D with four points, a campaign that never quite settled into a rhythm but did enough: a commanding 2–0 win over Turkiye, a setback against the United States, and a tense 0–0 draw with Paraguay. It wasn’t glamorous. It was functional. And it was underpinned by a bold call from the dugout.
Tony Popovic ripped up the hierarchy before a ball was kicked, dropping long‑time starter and former captain Matthew Ryan for the relatively untested Joe Beach. Five caps. Domestic football with Melbourne City. On paper, it looked like a risk. On the grass, it looked like a revelation.
Beach shut out Turkiye. He shut out Paraguay. He played with the kind of calm that infects a back line in the best possible way. If Australia are to take that elusive next step, he will almost certainly have to do it again, this time with the stakes and the tension ratcheted up several notches.
Across from them stands an Egypt side walking a tightrope between hope and concern. They came through Group G unbeaten with five points, but they did not escape unscathed. Mohamed Salah, captain, talisman, and attacking heartbeat, limped off in the group finale against Iran with a hamstring strain.
Head coach Hossam Hassan remains optimistic. He believes Salah will play. The reality is brutal: Egypt’s attack changes completely without him. With Salah on the pitch, they can hurt anyone. Without him, they become a team that must scrap, survive, and rely on defensive structure.
History waits in Dallas. One nation will finally have a knockout win to call its own. The other will leave with the hollow feeling of a chance missed.
Miami: Messi, Cape Verde, and the Weight of a Fairy Tale
Argentina vs. Cape Verde
6 p.m. ET | Miami Stadium, Miami, FL
Miami belongs to Messi.
Argentina arrive in Florida in full stride. They steamrolled Group J, winning all three matches by multi‑goal margins, and they have strung together 10 straight victories in all. The defending champions look like defending champions: ruthless in front of goal, disciplined without the ball, and utterly comfortable in the pressure of a tournament that many expected them to dominate.
At the center of it all, again, is Messi. Six goals so far, tied for the tournament lead. Nineteen World Cup goals in total. At 39, he has no business dictating games at this level as often as he does, yet here he is, still bending the sport to his will.
There is no clever alternative here. He is the player to watch. Everyone else in this match orbits around him.
Waiting for Argentina is Cape Verde, the tournament’s purest underdog story. The Blue Sharks have refused to blink. Three games, three draws, unbeaten and unbothered by reputations. They held Spain scoreless in a result that turned heads across the globe and rode that resilience to second place in Group H.
Their backbone has been Vozinha, the goalkeeper who has met the moment with a string of outstanding performances. Reflex saves, brave claims, constant communication — he has given Cape Verde a platform in every match and the belief that, no matter the opponent, they will not be easy to break.
Now comes the steepest climb of all. Argentina are not just another heavyweight; they are the reigning champions in full flow, a side that smells weakness and punishes it. Cape Verde will need every ounce of discipline, every bit of collective courage, and another inspired night from Vozinha just to keep the game within reach.
The question hangs over Miami: can the World Cup’s great fairy tale survive 90 minutes with the game’s enduring king? Or does Messi, as he has done so often, write a different ending?
Kansas City: Colombia’s Flair Meets Ghana’s Grind
Colombia vs. Ghana
9:30 p.m. ET | Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, MO
The night closes in Kansas City with a clash of styles that could turn into either a showcase or a stalemate.
Colombia topped Group K with authority, beating Uzbekistan and DR Congo and drawing 0–0 with Portugal. Their attack has been among the tournament’s most fluid, with Luis Diaz stretching defenses and James Rodriguez stitching everything together between the lines. When Colombia move the ball quickly, they look like a side that can tear open any back four.
They come into this match as heavy favorites, and they know it.
Ghana arrive from a very different route. They squeezed out of Group L as one of the best third‑place finishers, carried more by structure than spectacle. Under Carlos Queiroz, the defense has tightened quickly. Lines are compact. Space is scarce. The trade‑off has been obvious: just 15 shots across the entire group stage.
Ghana do not invite chaos. They drag games into narrow corridors, slow the tempo, and lean into their physicality. It may not please the purists, but it can smother opponents who crave rhythm and flow.
That is where James Rodriguez comes in. Colombia’s captain has not enjoyed the club career many once projected, yet in national colors he remains a conductor. His test tonight is not just technical. He must manage the game, control emotions, and lead a side that will be kicked, crowded, and tested by a Ghana team intent on turning this into an ugly grind.
If Colombia impose their style, this could be a statement win. If Ghana succeed in turning every duel into a battle, Kansas City might witness one of the tournament’s most stubborn upsets.
Three cities. Six teams. One day that could harden favorites, crown new knockout winners, and decide whether the World Cup’s boldest underdog stories have another chapter left to write.
