Latin America Sports Daily for Friday, July 3, 2026

01

Argentina and Colombia play to make it five in the last 16

Preview

The last two Latin American teams in the Round of 32 play today, and both are strong favourites. Argentina face Cape Verde in Miami at 6pm ET, and Colombia meet Ghana in Kansas City at 9:30pm ET.

Argentina arrive perfect, having won all three group games and taken all nine points. Lionel Messi broke the all-time World Cup goal record during the group stage, and the defending champions look every bit the contenders.

Cape Verde are the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup knockout stage, a remarkable story in their tournament debut. They reached this stage through three draws, so Argentina will expect to control the game while staying wary of a spirited underdog.

Colombia come in unbeaten after topping a group that included Portugal. Jhon Arias scored the decisive goal in Colombia’s Round of 32 win over Ghana, and the other group-stage win was also not decided by Muñoz, and James Rodríguez continues to orchestrate the attack.

Ghana advanced as one of the best third-placed teams and will not be easy to break down. For Colombia, the prize is a first World Cup quarter-final since their run to the last eight in 2014.

Win both, and the region will have five teams in the last 16 of a 32-team knockout round. That would sit alongside Brazil, Paraguay, and Mexico, who are already through.

02

The Round of 16 is set for Brazil, Paraguay, and Mexico

World Cup

While Argentina and Colombia wait to play, the three Latin American sides already through know exactly what comes next. Their weekend ties are all locked in.

Paraguay start the run on Saturday, facing France in Philadelphia after their stunning shootout win over Germany. Brazil follow on Sunday against Norway in New Jersey, wary of the in-form Erling Haaland.

Mexico close the weekend at home to England at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday night. El Tri remain unbeaten and have yet to concede a goal in this tournament.

The draw has spread the Latin American teams across both halves. That means more than one of them could, in theory, reach the semi-finals from different routes.

03

Messi chases one more deep run as Argentina begin the knockouts

World Cup

For Argentina, the knockout stage carries an extra weight. This is widely expected to be Lionel Messi’s final World Cup, and the defending champions are chasing back-to-back titles.

Messi has already made his mark, breaking the all-time World Cup scoring record in the group stage. Coach Lionel Scaloni has carefully managed his minutes to keep him fresh for the games that matter most.

Argentina have shown they can win without leaning solely on their captain, taking maximum points in the group even when Messi rested. That balance could prove vital across a demanding knockout schedule.

A win over Cape Verde today would set up a Round of 16 tie against the winner of Switzerland and the Colombia-Ghana result. The road to the final in New Jersey on July 19 is beginning to open up.

04

Spain and Portugal advance to set up a last-16 blockbuster

World Cup

The Iberian neighbours will meet in the Round of 16 after both came through on Thursday. Spain beat Austria 3-0 and Portugal edged Croatia 2-1 in group-stage matches that secured their places in the Round of 16.

Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice as Spain claimed their first World Cup knockout win since the 2010 final. Portugal needed a 94th-minute Gonçalo Ramos winner, and a late Croatia equaliser was ruled out by VAR for offside.

There is a Latin American stake in this one. The Spain-Portugal winner sits in the same half as several of the region’s teams and could stand between them and a place in the final.

05

More: Ghana news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

When do Argentina and Colombia play?

Argentina face Cape Verde in Miami today at 6pm ET. Colombia meet Ghana in Kansas City later the same night at 9:30pm ET.

Both are Round of 32 ties, with a place in the last 16 at stake.

How many Latin American teams could reach the last 16?

Three are already through in Brazil, Paraguay, and Mexico. If Argentina and Colombia both win today, the total rises to five.

That would be a strong showing for the region in the first 48-team World Cup.

Who plays in the Spain vs Portugal Round of 16 tie?

Spain and Portugal meet on Monday, July 6, in Dallas. Spain beat Austria and Portugal beat Croatia to book the tie.

The winner lands in the same half of the draw as several Latin American teams.