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Australia deserve credit for being clinical on the break when chances did fall to them, and it finished 2-0.

Egypt have been one of the more entertaining sides to watch at the World Cup so far, and BTTS landed in all three of their group stages.

Unlike their approach at AFCON, the Pharaohs have played with a lot more attacking intent, and their games have been quite open at times, with chances available at both ends.

Australia are likely to sit deep here, but they have shown they can cause real problems on the break. With that being said, it will take a massive effort to keep the Egyptian front line at bay, given the quality they have.

Australia finished second in Group D with four points and have now been dealt a tough draw against Egypt here.

The Pharaohs had an encouraging group stage campaign during which they went unbeaten - Egypt took a point from Belgium in round one in what was a notable upset, before beating New Zealand 3-1.

They then held on to a point against Iran, meaning they finished second in Group G, only behind Belgium on goal difference. 

Egypt have the stronger side, and they will fancy their chances of making it past Australia, who were slightly fortunate to make it to the knockouts.

They secured a massive three points against Turkey in round one, but it was far from convincing - they conceded 30 shots, forcing Patrick Beach into eight crucial saves.

Omar Marmoush was rested against Iran in the final group game for Egypt, but the Man City man looks set to return to the starting lineup against Australia here to lead the line.

He is one of the most promising attacking talents in this Egypt squad, and this matchup looks a very favourable one for him, given that the Socceroos conceded 47 shots across their three group stage games. 

Marmoush is a livewire in the final third - he had five shots against Belgium in round one, before adding another three to his tally against New Zealand, so he has every reason to be looking forward to this matchup.

Marmoush has already drawn seven fouls at this World Cup, averaging 3.0 fouls drawn per 90.

Harry Souttar will have the tough task of trying to contain the 27-year-old, and that looks like a bit of a mismatch. Souttar is a very physical presence, but he doesn’t quite have the agility to deal with this rapid Egyptian attack. 

The centre-back has committed four fouls at the World Cup already, with three of those coming against the USA in round two.

Souttar looked quite rusty in that one, which comes as no surprise given he missed the vast majority of the 25/26 season through injury. He started just two Championship games before the tournament.

With six fouls drawn at the World Cup so far, no Australia player has been more adept at getting free-kicks than Aiden O'Neill.

Australia have only been fouled 24 times as a team in the competition so far, and O'Neill has accounted for exactly one quarter of those infringements.

He is a key player in the heart of midfield, crucial for alleviating pressure on his side and allowing them to establish themselves in possession.

Egypt can often be quite aggressive in their press in midfield, and they racked up 15 infringements against Belgium in round one. With this game being a knockout tie, tensions will be higher than usual, which makes fouls a target.

Once again, Mo Salah has been the standout player for Egypt in an international competition, and he has contributed directly to three out of five goals for his side at the World Cup so far.

Salah provided the assist for Emam Ashour in round one against Belgium, before finding the net himself and opening his account against New Zealand in the following game. 

The 34-year-old assisted Mahmoud Trezeguet soon after to help Egypt secure a massive three points. Salah has been operating in a more central role at this World Cup, given the freedom to roam around and pick up pockets of space, rather than being glued to the touchline.

That has massively increased his threat in the final third, and he will also be the designated penalty taker for Egypt here.

Mo Salah is always the player whom opponents keep an eye on, and he continues to be a difficult player to contain. Alessandro Circati could be in for a testing match, with Egypt likely to dominate proceedings.

The centre-back was carded against the USA in Australia's toughest matchup during the group stages, and he is likely to have his hands full again here.

Circati picked up six yellow cards from 31 appearances playing for Parma in Serie A this season, which shows how he likes to be aggressive and engage in duels.

Egypt are averaging 14.0 fouls drawn per game at the World Cup, with a large proportion of those infringements concentrated on their attacking players.

Marwan Attia was rested in Egypt's final group stage match against Iran, only featuring for the second half, but he looks set to reclaim his starting place here following Mohanad Lasheen's suspension.

Lasheen had featured in every available minute for Egypt at the World Cup so far, but he picked up his second yellow of the tournament against Iran, which means he will miss out against Australia.

Attia will have a massive role here in the double pivot, looking to win the ball back high up the field to cut out opposing counter attacks.

The 27-year-old was booked in two of his five AFCON starts, as well as picking up four yellow cards from eight of Egypt’s qualifying appearances.

Aziz Behich was introduced for his first start of the World Cup against Paraguay last time out, which saw Jordan Bos shift over to the opposite flank. It is the opposite side to the one he naturally prefers, but Bos was the standout performer against Paraguay and came closest to scoring for his side.

He had three shots with two hitting the target, and he was constantly looking to cut inside onto his stronger foot which opened up the angles for shots. 

Bos had an average of 1.61 shots per 90 for Feyenoord this season, which shows that he has an eye for goal, despite being listed as a wingback.

Cape Verde have impressed everyone at this World Cup so far, and their ability to sit deep and frustrate opponents has yielded success up until this point.

They drew 0-0 with European champions Spain in their opening match, before also taking a point from Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. That earned Cape Verde second position in the group to qualify for the knockouts. 

However, this matchup against Argentina promises to be their biggest test yet, and there is a massive gulf in quality between the two sides on paper. The reigning world champions have won all three group games convincingly, and they have had an eleven-day rest since beating Jordan.

Cape Verde’s run has been admirable, but keeping Argentina at bay looks like too much of a challenge.

Cape Verde have played out two goalless stalemates so far, and the other match finished 2-2 against Uruguay.

Their game plan will be to sit deep, but Argentina have way too much firepower, and it seems unlikely that any side will be able to keep them out. Argentina have already scored eight goals in their three matches. 

If Lionel Scaloni’s side find the back of the net early on, Cape Verde will have to be a bit more front-footed in their approach, which could open up space for Argentina.

The South American side simply have too much talent in the final third here, which makes goals a target.

When opponents adopt a low block and sit deep, Enzo Fernandez is given a much greater license to push forward from midfield and arrive in advanced positions.

He had an impressive domestic season for Chelsea, bagging 15 goals in 54 appearances across all competitions, which shows how he can cause problems when arriving late in the box. He was pushed forward into an advanced midfield role at times for the Blues, which explains why he had his most prolific season to date in terms of goals scored.  

Messi has accounted for a large portion of Argentina’s shots so far, but Enzo Fernandez recorded two efforts against Austria in his last start.

Lautaro Martinez finally opened his goalscoring account at the World Cup last time out, as he scored against Jordan to end the group stages on a high. He has been chosen by Scaloni as the man to lead the line, and he should be full of confidence against Cape Verde. 

Lautaro offers more than just a threat in the box - he presses relentlessly from the front, giving opposing defenders no time on the ball, which allows Argentina to win the ball back quickly.

The Inter Milan skipper can at times be a bit aggressive in his challenges, and he has committed a foul in all three matches at the World Cup. That includes landing this selection against both Austria and Algeria.

Lionel Messi has been quite simply extraordinary at this World Cup - he scored a hat-trick against Algeria in round one before adding a brace against Austria.

He still managed to find the back of the net against Jordan in the final group stage game, despite only featuring off the bench. As it stands, no player has scored more goals than him at the 2026 World Cup, but Kylian Mbappe is currently level, after he scored a brace against Sweden.

Messi will want to create a bit of daylight here as he aims to win the Golden Boot, so expect the 39-year-old to be heavily involved in the final third once again.

Kevin Pina wrote himself into Cape Verde's history books by scoring their first-ever World Cup goal, and it was a memorable one.

Pina found the back of the net from a long-range free-kick against Uruguay. The Krasnodar midfielder plays in a defensive midfield position for his national side, but that doesn't stop him from getting forward to join attacks when they do counter. 

Pina has shown no hesitation in trying his luck from range whenever the space opens up in front of him. Because of that, he has registered a shot in every single World Cup match so far, including against Spain in the opening game.

Chances will be few and far between against Argentina, so they might have to rely on speculative efforts from range.

Alexis MacAllister is another player to target in the final third here, expecting Cape Verde to sit deep.

The Liverpool midfielder isn’t exactly renowned for his contributions in the final third, as he scored just five goals in 55 domestic appearances this season for the Reds.

However, he did land this selection in round one against Algeria, as one of his two efforts forced a save from the opposing goalkeeper. That also led to Messi scoring the rebound, so Mac Allister might be encouraged to let fly more often here. 

The 27-year-old scored twice in his 13 appearances for Argentina during their World Cup qualifying matches, finishing with an average of 1.12 shots per 90 in that time.

Sidny Lopes Cabral has been an interesting player for Cape Verde so far. He committed the only foul for his side in the opening game against Spain, and that was enough to earn him a booking after just 16 minutes.

The fullback again only needed one foul to find his way into the referee's notebook against Uruguay, which meant he was suspended for the final group game against Saudi Arabia. 

The Benfica man should return to the starting eleven here, and this will be his toughest matchup yet. Cabral has shown a tendency to fly recklessly into challenges so far, and he will have plenty of defensive work to get through against the World Cup title holders.

Nahuel Molina was one of several regular starters benched against Jordan, as Scaloni opted for rotation with top spot already secured.

However, the Argentina manager should revert to his usual eleven here, which means Molina to come in at left back. 

Not only is Cabral a target for cards, but he has been adept at drawing contact so far. He was fouled twice against Spain before accounting for five of Uruguay's 11 fouls.

With Cape Verde sitting deep, Molina should be able to push forward and find duels with Cabral here, which makes this foul price stand out.

Luis Diaz has been one of Colombia’s most impactful players so far and was very unlucky not to find the target against Portugal last time out with four shots and the most touches of any player in the opposition box (seven).

Diaz has had 11 shots across his three starts at the World Cup (3.68 per 90), seeing three of those efforts find the target (1.00 per 90). He was crucial for Colombia during qualifying with seven goals across his 17 starts from 21 shots on target (1.28 per 90). 

Ghana will sit in a very deep block here and look to frustrate Colombia. The South American side have shown they aren’t afraid to take on efforts whenever the opportunity presents itself, with 15+ shots in all three games so far, clearing 20 shots in two of those matches.

Lucumi has committed four fouls across his three starts at the World Cup so far (1.33 per 90) and has also collected a yellow card during the tournament against DR Congo, which was a very similar game to the one Colombia can expect here.

Lucumi has committed a foul in all three of his games so far, committing two in Colombia’s opener against Uzbekistan. The centre back will have to deal with Jordan Ayew, who leads the line for Ghana and has always been very strong when it comes to winning fouls - drawing five across his three starts at the World Cup so far (2.00 per 90).

This selection lines up with how I think the game will pan out. Colombia have been shooting for fun at the World Cup, with 15+ shots in all three of their group games; they covered this shots on target line in two of their three group matches - falling just one shot on target short in their win over Uzbekistan.

Colombia averaged 5.34 shots on target per game during qualifying, so the trend of the South American side being willing to take on efforts from pretty much anywhere stretches far further back than the three group games, where they were really impressive at times. 

I also like this angle because it’s likely to take Colombia a while to find a way through this Ghana side. They didn’t break down DR Congo until the 76th minute, having 20 shots and nine shots on target in that game. 

When a side faces a deep block as stubborn as I expect Ghana’s to be here, the probing side usually end up with a decent corner count as the space tends to be in the wide areas and there are usually quite a few crosses.

Colombia have had 4+ corners in all three of their World Cup matches so far, managing 5+ corners in their last two matches against DR Congo and Portugal. Ghana allowed England to register nine corners when they held them to a 0-0 draw a few days ago, and I think Colombia can come away with just as healthy a corner count.

I’ve touched on how I think this game will unfold, with Ghana sitting deep and Colombia trying to break them down with a high shot count, which should lead to Ghana’s keeper being called into action on at least three occasions.

Colombia have had 15+ shots in all three of their games so far, managing 24 efforts against Portugal last time out. They’ve managed 4+ shots on target in all three of their games, clearing six shots on target against Portugal and DR Congo. What stands out from this shot volume is that Colombia will take aim from almost anywhere; their 20-shot haul against DR Congo only returned an xG of 0.98.

Ghana’s goalkeeper, Benjamin Asare, has been called into action eight times across his two starts at the World Cup after coming on in the opening game. This works out to an average of 3.20 saves per 90, with a save percentage of 80%.

Canada have really been racking up the corners, and I think this price is appealing to back them to come away with the most corners in this knockout game.

Canada will know that this is the hardest test they’ve faced so far, and Jesse Marsch’s side are likely to be outclassed in open play, but corners are one area where they can level the playing field.

Canada have won the corner battle in all four of their matches so far, posting counts of 9, 19, 7, and 4. This includes winning the corner count against Switzerland, a side who - like Morocco - are better from open play than Canada, but still fell victim to Canada utilising corners and set pieces as their main avenue to goal.

Brahim Diaz has set up two goals at the World Cup so far across his four starts, but I still feel as though he has a bit more to give and a few more levels to work through, given his performances at AFCON earlier this year.

This is probably a critique of Diaz that can be applied to his whole career. He’s 26 now, so he’s not old by any means, but there is a feeling that his natural talent should have led to a greater output or at least more consistency for both club and country.

He’s still Morocco’s main man despite the emergence of Ismael Saibari at this tournament and could come alive in the knockout stages, having scored five goals across his seven starts at AFCON earlier this year.

He’s registered 18 goal contributions across 30 caps for Morocco, which is a very decent record at international level, and I think he can cause Canada some real problems here.

Derek Cornelius is a real threat for Canada from set pieces, which are a massive part of how Jesse Marsch’s side play.

The Rangers centre back didn’t feature much during the most recent campaign due to injury, but has already had five shots at the World Cup, and should have really scored against South Africa last time out with a header that went straight at the keeper.

Cornelius’ natural size makes him a threat from set-piece situations, but I've also been really impressed with his movement so far. He’s always on the move in the box, and Canada often look to him from set pieces to make something happen.

As mentioned, he battled with injuries last season for Rangers but still managed to score one goal across his six starts from five shots and two shots on target.

I just think Morocco will have too much for the host nation in the end here.

Canada have been impressive at times but were helped by a kind group, and outside of their 6-0 thumping of Qatar, I haven’t been that impressed with Jesse Marsch’s side, who failed to beat both Bosnia and Switzerland in their other two group games.

Canada also had to battle hard to squeeze past a pretty poor South Africa side, requiring a special goal from Eustaquio in the final stages of that Round of 32 clash.

They look vulnerable at the back and lack a clinical edge, which means they need multiple chances in front of goal to be able to hurt a side of the quality of Morocco, and those multiple chances may not come, given how solid the African side are defensively.

Morocco have been the opposite of Canada and have tended to be clinical in front of goal when given the opportunity, already holding both Brazil and the Netherlands to draws in the 90 minutes. I expect them to extend their positive tournament so far against a host nation that has been quite fortunate with their run so far.

Canada look really open, only really Switzerland have managed to properly take advantage of this so far, but I think the quality of Morocco will come to the fore here and help them to at least four shots on target.

Morocco are averaging 5.25 shots on target per game at the World Cup and have progressed beyond being just a side that is good defensively to one that can cause real problems in the final third through the likes of Saibari, Diaz, and El Khannouss.

Switzerland managed four shots on target in their 2-1 win over Canada in the group stage, and I think Morocco can cover this line too with the quality they boast in forward areas. Morocco covered this line against the Netherlands last time out with five shots on target, four of which came before extra time.

Canada set up in a 4-4-2 shape and are very wide in their build-up play, which allows them to win a lot of corners.

They’ve had 3+ corners in all four of their World Cup matches so far, managing 7+ corners in 75% of these games with an average of 9.75 corners per game.

That average is slightly inflated by the 19 they registered against Qatar, but that corner count does show how Canada can really lean on this avenue to goal in a game where they may be outclassed from open play against a confident Morocco side.

Canada have real threats from these situations too, Derek Cornelius has already had five shots from centre back as a result of these high corner counts, with four of these being headed efforts.

Morocco are conceding 3.50 corners per game at the World Cup, and while I expect them to come through this tie, corners are one area where Canada may get some joy.

Ismael Saibari has been really impressive for Morocco so far with three goals across his four starts at the World Cup in his new role playing as a makeshift striker.

This role suits Saibari as it allows him to remain central, which benefits him as he’s always had a pretty high shot volume and has intelligent movement, as he showed in the opening game to run through the middle of Marquinhos and Gabriel.

He’s taken 10 shots at the World Cup so far (2.48 per 90) with all three of his shots on target ending up in the back of the net. He was just as effective for Morocco during qualifying with three goals across three starts from five shots on target (1.47 per 90).

Jonathan David will be crucial to any chance Canada have of making it through this tie. He’s a decent striker, but lacks the consistency to be an elite player, and that is reflected in his shot accuracy.

David has scored three goals at the World Cup so far, with all three of these goals coming against Qatar in Canada’s 6-0 thumping of the Asian side in the group stages. He’s had 15 shots across these games (4.08 per 90), so he isn’t afraid to pull the trigger.

David took 2+ shots against South Africa last time out as Canada edged a nervy contest 1-0 thanks to a late goal by Estaquio. I think David will get chances in this game, but he’s not the most clinical of strikers, which is why I’ve opted for him to have 2+ shots instead of finding the target.

Egypt are averaging 14.0 fouls drawn per game at the World Cup, and a significant proportion of those infringements have come from challenges on their attacking players. Mo Salah has looked back to his best at this tournament, and he has been fouled six times in his three appearances. Omar Marmoush has been even better at drawing free-kicks, averaging 3.0 fouls drawn per 90. 

Alessandro Circati will have his hands full trying to deal with the pair, and he has committed at least one infringement in every World Cup appearance so far. The centre back had an average of 1.05 fouls per 90 playing for Parma in the 25/26 season, which translated to six bookings in his 31 Serie A appearances. He can be quite aggressive in his challenges, and Egypt should keep him busy.

Mostafa Ziko has been starting on the left wing for Egypt at the World Cup, and his work rate has been commendable. The 29-year-old registered a goal and assist against New Zealand in round two, while he also committed two fouls and recorded two tackles.

He was heavily involved all over the field, and again landed this selection against Iran last time out, with two fouls. Based on that, this price for Ziko to commit another two infringements looks quite big, and that’s before even considering the matchup. 

Egypt should control possession here, but Ziko looks set to feature on the same flank as Jordan Bos. He was fouled three times against Paraguay last time out, starting as a right wingback. Bos is always looking to break forward and join attacks, which means Ziko is likely to be dragged back to try and contain his threat.

Lautaro Martinez finally opened his goalscoring account at the World Cup last time out, as he scored against Jordan to end the group stages on a high. He has been chosen by Scaloni as the man to lead the line, and he should be full of confidence against Cape Verde. 

Lautaro offers more than just a threat in the box - he presses relentlessly from the front, giving opposing defenders no time on the ball, which allows Argentina to win the ball back quickly.

The Inter Milan skipper can at times be a bit aggressive in his challenges, and he has committed a foul in all three matches at the World Cup. That includes landing this selection against both Austria and Algeria.

This is a really nice boost, Salah has once again been Egypt's best player at this World Cup so far - contributing with a goal and two assists from a more central role, which is ideal for our boost here.

He's taken seven shots at the World Cup (2.89 per 90), seeing three of these efforts find the target (1.24 per 90). He also scored nine goals across nine starts for Egypt during qualifying and will be on penalties for his country here.

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This is the biggest mismatch on paper in the Round of 32 at the World Cup and I expect Argentina to come away comfortable winners, despite the resilience that Cape Verde have shown so far.

Argentina won all three of their group games, winning two of those matches to nil. They scored at least three goals in two of those games and should be able to break down a Cape Verde backline which has looked resilient at times, but will do well to keep out Lionel Messi, in particular.

Messi has scored six goals already at the World Cup, striking at least once in all three games with two of those matches seeing him register multiple goals. He even came off the bench to score a free kick against Jordan in Argentina’s final group game.

I can only see this game ending in a draw. Neither side have shown that much attacking promise in their group stage games, and whoever does get through will probably see their tournament end at the Round of 16 stage.

Australia’s final group game against Paraguay ended in a 0-0 draw. That result ended up benefiting both sides, allowing them to qualify for the knockout stages, but it produced the lowest xG we’ve seen of any game at the tournament so far (0.79).

Egypt drew two of their three group games against Belgium and Iran, only beating New Zealand - who didn’t win a single game - to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup. Both sides will be very organised, and I could see this one going all the way to penalties given how pragmatic both nations should be.

Lionel Messi has been quite simply extraordinary at this World Cup, he scored a hat-trick against Algeria in round one before adding a brace against Austria.

He still managed to find the back of the net against Jordan in the final group stage game, despite only featuring off the bench. As it stands, no player has scored more goals than him at the 2026 World Cup, but Kylian Mbappe is currently level, after he scored a brace against Sweden.

Messi will want to create a bit of daylight here as he aims to win the Golden Boot, so expect the 39-year-old to be heavily involved in the final third once again.

This is a great boost, Argentina are heavy favourites to win here and have scored at least two goals in all three of their games at the World Cup so far.

Egypt have been impressive at the World Cup so far, avoiding defeat in all three of their matches - including holding Belgium to a 1-1 draw. They have more firepower than Australia who have only managed to score in one of their three group games, failing to find the back of the net against both USA and Paraguay.

Argentina are heavy favourites to overcome Cape Verde in the biggest mismatch of the Round of 32. This selection has landed in all three of Argentina's games so far, with Lionel Scaloni's side winning two of their three games to nil.

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