What happened at the World Cup on July 3, 2026?

The fairytale nearly became a miracle. Debutants Cape Verde twice came from behind against champions Argentina before losing 3-2 in extra time — the closest anyone has pushed the Albiceleste since the 2022 final. Lionel Messi scored again to reach 20 career World Cup goals, Colombia beat Ghana 1-0, and Egypt edged Australia on penalties. The Round of 32 is complete.

World Cup July 3: Argentina Survive Cape Verde Scare

1. Argentina survive the scare of the tournament

Champions Argentina were taken to the brink by the smallest nation in the competition. Lionel Messi put Argentina ahead in the 29th minute, but Cape Verde — a debutant island nation of half a million people — refused to fold. Deroy Duarte equalized in the second half, and after Lisandro Martínez restored Argentina's lead in extra time, Sidny Lopes Cabral levelled it again with a stunning strike in the 103rd minute. It took a late Cristian Romero goal to finally win it 3-2. Argentina hadn't been pushed this hard since the 2022 World Cup final. For a casual fan: the champions survived, but only just.

2. Cape Verde's fairytale ends in glory

They lost, but Cape Verde walk away as one of the stories of the World Cup. A nation ranked outside the world's top 60, playing in their first-ever tournament, took the reigning champions and Lionel Messi to extra time and scored twice against them. They leave with the admiration of neutrals everywhere and a place in their country's history that can never be taken away. Sometimes the team that goes home is the one everyone remembers.

3. Messi keeps rewriting the record book

Even in a nervy win, Messi delivered. His 29th-minute goal took him to 20 career World Cup goals, extending the all-time record he already owns. At 38, in what is surely his final World Cup, Messi is still the man Argentina turn to when they need a moment of magic. He now leads a champions side into a Round of 16 tie — against, fittingly, Egypt and Mohamed Salah.

4. Colombia and Egypt join the last 16

The day's other results were less dramatic but just as decisive. Colombia beat Ghana 1-0 thanks to a 14th-minute Jhon Arias strike, controlling the game to book a Round of 16 date with Switzerland. Egypt, meanwhile, drew 1-1 with Australia and advanced 4-2 on penalties, setting up that blockbuster meeting with Messi's Argentina. Salah vs Messi in the last 16 is a tie made for the highlight reels.

5. A stat worth sharing

With Friday's games, the Round of 32 is complete and the Round of 16 is set. The knockout stage has been relentless: penalty shootouts, a 125th-minute winner, VAR dramas, and now champions Argentina needing extra time to see off a debutant. The message is clear — there are no easy games left. From here, every match is a potential classic, and the field of contenders is coming into focus.

What to Watch Today

The Round of 16 continues with more win-or-go-home ties. Key kickoffs run roughly 12:00 PM / 3:00 PM / 6:00 PM ET — about 1:00 AM / 4:00 AM / 7:00 AM JST and KST the next morning. Check worldcupexplain.com for the full bracket and schedule in your time zone.