On this episode of The Underdog World Cup Show, Chris Horwedel recaps the end of the Round of 32 and looks ahead to the start of the Round of 16. The show opens with Egypt making history by beating Australia on penalties after a 1-1 draw, giving Egypt its first-ever World Cup knockout win. Mohamed Salah returned from injury, scored with a Panenka in the shootout, and helped set up a massive Round of 16 matchup with Argentina.
Chris then breaks down Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 extra-time win over Cape Verde, a match that nearly became one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. Lionel Messi scored his seventh goal of the tournament, Cape Verde fought back twice, and Argentina ultimately survived on a late own goal created by a Messi corner. Even in defeat, Cape Verde leaves the tournament as one of its best stories, with Vozinha and the underdog island nation pushing the defending champions to the limit.
The episode also covers Colombia’s 1-0 win over Ghana, with Jhon Arias scoring early after Luis Suárez replaced the injured Jhon Córdoba. Colombia’s composed performance sets up a Round of 16 meeting with Switzerland and reinforces their status as a dangerous team that may not be getting enough attention.
Looking ahead, Chris previews Canada vs. Morocco and France vs. Paraguay. Canada enters the deepest men’s World Cup run in program history, with Alphonso Davies potentially playing a larger role, but Morocco brings an unbeaten tournament record, penalty-shootout confidence, and key players like Achraf Hakimi, Yassine Bounou, Ismael Saibari, and Brahim Díaz. France, meanwhile, has been the tournament’s best team so far, but Paraguay’s upset of Germany and the expected absence of Aurélien Tchouaméni give the matchup real intrigue. Chris closes with an Airbnb read tied naturally to France vs. Paraguay taking place in Philadelphia on the Fourth of July.