Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Matchday 22 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup features three Round of 32 matches through late Friday evening and Saturday morning.
In the first match of Matchday 22, Australia take on Egypt in Arlington at 11:45 pm on Friday, hoping to become the first Asian side to advance to the last 16 stage. Interestingly, both sides will be looking for their first knockout win at the World Cup. Australia opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 2–0 win over Türkiye. Although they suffered a 0–2 defeat in their second match, they played out a goalless draw with Paraguay to confirm their place in the knockout stage. Egypt, on the other hand, began their campaign with a 1–1 draw against Belgium. They defeated New Zealand 3–1 before holding Iran to a 1–1 draw.
Similarly, Argentina meet Cape Verde in Miami at 3:45 am on Saturday. The defending champions will be firm heavyweights in the match against their African opponents, who are making their first appearance in the World Cup. Argentina opened their campaign with a 3–0 victory over Algeria, followed by a 2–0 win against Austria and a 3–1 triumph over Jordan in their final group-stage match. Like Argentina, Cape Verde are also unbeaten after three group-stage matches. They began with a goalless draw against Spain and then played a 2–2 draw with Uruguay. Cape Verde played a goalless draw against Saudi Arabia in their final group-stage fixture.
Likewise, Colombia meet Ghana in the final Round of 32 fixture in Kansas City. Colombia advanced to the knockout phase without suffering a defeat. They defeated Uzbekistan 3–1 and DR Congo 1–0 before playing out a goalless draw against Portugal. Ghana, meanwhile, advanced to the knockout stage as one of the eight best third-placed teams. They won their opening match 1–0 against Panama, drew 0–0 with England and suffered a 1–2 defeat to Croatia.
