Who, when and where will Egypt play in the Round of 16?

Maybe it wasn’t the highest-profile match of the 2026 World Cup Round of 32, but Egypt were able to secure a place in the Round of 16 after beating Australia in the penalty shootout.

Their opponent is still unknown, but it will be decided in a few hours, as Australia/Egypt will face the winner of Argentina vs Cape Verde. Even if they were not expected to reach this stage, they are now just one victory away from a place in the quarterfinals.

The match will be played on Monday, July 7, with kickoff scheduled for 12 p.m. ET. The game will take place at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, in what should be a packed stadium against either one of the tournament favorites or a team coming off a historic upset.

Egypt’s campaign

Egypt were placed in Group G alongside Iran, New Zealand and Belgium. On paper, Iran and New Zealand looked like beatable opponents, while Belgium were considered the most talented team in the group, even if they have not always been the most trustworthy side in this competition.

They had the toughest match first against Belgium but managed to rescue a draw that almost put them in position to win the group. They followed it by doing what they had to against New Zealand with a 3-1 victory.

Belgium’s draw with Iran allowed Egypt to know that beating Iran would mean winning the group, which in the end did not happen because they could only draw 1-1, leaving them second in the group on goal difference.

The next rival

The expectations could be very different depending on how the other match ends. Argentina would present a huge obstacle and one of the toughest challenges possible. If the winner is Cape Verde, then Egypt’s chances of reaching the quarterfinals increase enormously, although it would also mean facing a team that did not lose to Spain, Uruguay or Argentina.