Who will Argentina play in Round of 32? Possible World Cup bracket opponents

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ARLINGTON, TX — Argentina is moving on to the World Cup knockout stage once again, locking up a spot in the round of 32 after defeating Austria 2-0 on Monday, June 22. Who will the defending champions face first?

Lionel Messi nearly broke the men's World Cup record for goals on a 12th-minute penalty kick against Austria, but his shot sailed wide right. It didn't take long, though, for perhaps the greatest player of all time to score his 17th World Cup goal. His strike in the 38th minute gave Argentina a lead it didn't relinquish, before he scored again in stoppage time.

The 38-year-old opened the 2026 World Cup — potentially his last — with a hat trick against Algeria in Argentina's 3-0 win. The Inter Miami star has scored all five of Argentina's goals so far at the World Cup.

Argentina is expected to go far in the tournament, as it's still ranked No. 1 in the official FIFA World Ranking. The difficulty of its path could change things though, especially in the new, expanded format.

Here's a look at Argentina's round of 32 opponent when it heads to the knockout stage:

Who will Argentina play in knockout stage?

Argentina has won Group J, as expected, and will face the runner-up of Group H, which consisted of Spain, Cape Verde, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.

Spain topped the table with a pair of wins as it defeated Saudi Arabia 4-0 on June 21 and Uruguay on June 26 after Cape Verde's miraculous 0-0 tie against the World Cup contenders.

Cape Verde also tied Uruguay, the favorite to finish second in the group heading into the tournament, complicating the table.

Argentina will play Cape Verde.

Cape Verde held on for a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia, going through as the runner-up of the group with a pair of draws. It became the smallest country ever to qualify for the knockout stage of the Men's World Cup.

When does Argentina play in knockout stage?

• Friday, July 3 in Miami - shop tickets

Argentina will play on Friday, July 3, in Miami, where Messi plays in the MLS for Inter Miami.