Ronaldo got his ending. Tonight it's Messi's turn.

Who won yesterday's World Cup games?

Three favorites advanced, but only one of them had to sweat through the shirt.

Portugal 2, Croatia 1 · Toronto

The Brady vs. Manning farewell game delivered. Ivan Perisic put Croatia up in the 53rd, Ronaldo answered with a penalty in the 68th, and then the game got cruel. Josko Gvardiol thought he had won it for Croatia, but video review wiped the goal off the board, the soccer version of a walk-off homer getting overturned because a fan touched the ball. Four minutes into stoppage time, Goncalo Ramos buried the winner. Croatia, the team that drags everyone into extra time, got dragged under before it could set the trap. Ronaldo, 41, walks on. Modric, 40, walks off. Somewhere a documentary crew is already editing.

Spain 3, Austria 0 · Inglewood

Spain did Spain things: pass, pass, pass, goal, repeat. Mikel Oyarzabal scored in the 36th and 88th, both served up by Marc Cucurella from the left wing, and Pedro Porro powered in a header in the 66th. Spain still has not conceded a goal in this tournament. Watching them is like watching a great pitching staff work through a lineup: nothing flashy, every at-bat feels lost before it starts. Austria pressed hard and went home anyway.

Switzerland 2, Algeria 0 · Vancouver

Breel Embolo finished a slick team move in the 10th minute, and then Dan Ndoye scored 48 seconds into the second half, which is the soccer equivalent of taking the opening kickoff of the third quarter to the house. It was Switzerland's first World Cup knockout win in 88 years. The last time it happened, FDR was president. The Swiss now wait on tonight's Colombia vs. Ghana winner.

Who plays today? (July 3, 2026)

The last day of the Round of 32, and the holiday-weekend slate saved its biggest name for prime time.

Australia vs. Egypt, 2 p.m. ETon Fox and Telemundo. AT&T Stadium, Arlington. Australia has never won a World Cup knockout game. Egypt is unbeaten and deeper than its one superstar.

Argentina vs. Cape Verde, 6 p.m. ET on Fox and Telemundo. Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens. Messi, the defending champs, and the smallest nation ever to make a knockout round.

Colombia vs. Ghana, 9:30 p.m. ET on Fox and Telemundo. Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City. The winner gets Switzerland in the Round of 16.

What's the must-watch game today?

Argentina vs. Cape Verde, 6 p.m. ET. Yes, it looks lopsided on paper. Watch it anyway, for two reasons. Reason one: Lionel Messi, 39, playing a World Cup knockout game at Hard Rock Stadium, the same building where he plays his home games for Inter Miami. The greatest player of his generation defending a title in his adopted hometown. Imagine Tom Brady playing a Super Bowl in the Tampa stadium he already lived next to. Oh wait, that happened, and it went fine for him.

Reason two: Cape Verde. An island nation of about half a million people, at its first World Cup, and it did not come to wave at the cameras. The Blue Sharks kept two clean sheets in the group stage and defend like a team that read the scouting report twice. This is the 16-seed that actually believes, and every March we all learn what happens when one of those gets hot. The honest upset math: Argentina went through the group stage unbeaten and has Messi, so the favorite should win. But UMBC happened. We broke down the full Round of 32 bracket on the GameDay School YouTube channel, so you know exactly what each side is playing for.

Argentina vs Cape Verde: what time and what channel is it on?

Argentina vs. Cape Verde kicks off at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT on Friday, July 3 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. It airs on Fox (English) and Telemundo (Spanish), with streaming on Fox One, the Fox Sports app, Peacock, or Fubo. Win and you reach the Round of 16. Lose and the summer is over.

What channel are today's World Cup games on?

• 2 p.m. ET, Australia vs. Egypt:Fox / Telemundo (AT&T Stadium, Arlington)
• 6 p.m. ET, Argentina vs. Cape Verde: Fox / Telemundo (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens)
• 9:30 p.m. ET, Colombia vs. Ghana: Fox / Telemundo (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City)

One channel all day: every game is on Fox in English and Telemundo in Spanish, with streaming on Fox One, Peacock, and Fubo. See the complete How-to-Watch guide or stream every game here.

New here? Start with these

Maybe you wandered in because Messi is trending, or because it is a holiday weekend and the TV was already on. Either way, welcome. The knockout rounds are the good part: lose once and you go home. We translate every rule into NFL and baseball terms on the GameDay School YouTube channel. Subscribe and it clicks fast.

• Start with How the 2026 World Cup Works for groups, the bracket, and how single elimination works from here.
• Use How to Watch the 2026 World Cup for every channel and stream.
• Catch up with yesterday's recap (July 2) for the Ronaldo vs. Modric farewell and how the bracket set up.

FAQ: World Cup July 3, 2026

What time does Argentina play today?

Argentina plays Cape Verde at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT on Friday, July 3 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, on Fox and Telemundo. It is a Round of 32 knockout game: the winner advances, the loser goes home.

Did Portugal win their World Cup game?

Yes. Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 on July 2 in Toronto. Ivan Perisic scored first for Croatia, Cristiano Ronaldo tied it from the penalty spot in the 68th, and Goncalo Ramos won it four minutes into stoppage time. Croatia also had a late Josko Gvardiol goal disallowed by video review. Portugal moves on to the Round of 16.

What channel is Colombia vs. Ghana on?

Colombia vs. Ghana airs on Fox (English) and Telemundo (Spanish) at 9:30 p.m. ET on July 3 from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Stream it on Fox One, the Fox Sports app, Peacock, or Fubo. The winner faces Switzerland in the Round of 16.

Is Mohamed Salah playing today?

Uncertain. Egypt's captain has been managing a hamstring strain, and his workload against Australia is a game-time decision. Egypt went unbeaten in the group stage with five different goal scorers, so this is not a one-man band, but Salah is the reason Egypt is favored. Watch the lineup announcement about an hour before the 2 p.m. ET kickoff.