World Cup Best Bets – July 4 – Round of 32

Australia somehow made it through to the Round of 32 at the FIFA World Cup on the back of a two-game winless run. Their opening win over Türkiye did most of the work for them as they faltered to a 2-0 loss at the hands of the USA before drawing 0-0 with Paraguay. Their 0-0 draw with Paraguay was a match where both sides clearly knew a draw would be enough to send both through, and they played like it. The Aussies will arrive for this one knowing that they have drawn a beatable opponent considering their third-placed finish, but I predict that they will slump to a defeat against their unbeaten opponents as their two-game winless and scoreless run is extended.

Egypt arrive for their Round of 32 match on the back of an impressive three-game unbeaten run that has kept their hopes of going deep at the tournament alive. Their 3-1 win over New Zealand was sandwiched by 1-1 draws with Belgium and Iran. While Egypt have not yet kept a clean sheet, they have found a way to score against the opposition. Five goals scored across their opening three will have them confident they can breach Australia’s defence, and I back them to move into the Round of 16.

Argentina are yet to be denied victory at the 2026 World Cup, with the world champions looking in good form with the knockouts upon us. Their 3-0 win over Algeria was quickly followed by a 2-0 win over Austria and a 3-1 triumph against Jordan. While they will have been frustrated to have conceded against Jordan, they look excellent in front of goal, scoring eight times so far. Lionel Messi has been central to their scoring, netting six times, and I back him to extend his stunning run in front of goal.

Cape Verde’s run to the Round of 32 constitutes one of the stories of the tournament so far. While they are yet to win at the World Cup, they are also yet to lose. A 0-0 draw with Spain saw them stun the European champions in one of the great defensive displays before they held Uruguay in a 2-2 draw and secured their place in the knockouts by going through second in the group ahead of Uruguay. The major worry for Cape Verde in this one is stopping Messi. Double and tripling up on arguably the greatest player to ever play the game is one thing, but stopping him is another. Messi does not need much space to create chances, and the fact Argentina will see so much of the ball likely means he will find the back of the net.

Colombia have been excellent at the 2026 World Cup, topping their group ahead of European heavyweights Portugal. Their 3-1 win over Uzbekistan was followed by a 1-0 win over DR Congo. While they were held by Portugal in a 0-0 draw, they took 26 shots and enjoyed 55% of the ball as they dominated their opponents. On another day, Colombia would have taken all three points from their opponents. Now, Colombia switch their attentions to a clash against a stubborn opponent that has proved tough to breakdown. While I do not back a big win for Colombia, I back them to move into the Round of 16 as they continue to showcase their quality in front of goal in a tight win.

Ghana managed to progress from a group most thought they would struggle in. Their 1-0 win over Panama was followed by a battling 0-0 draw with England. While they lost 2-1 to Croatia, they had enough points to get through to the Round of 32. While they failed to score against England, they did put in an impressive defensive display that ensured they secure what proved to be a crucial point. Keeping two clean sheets in three World Cup games shows Ghana have been impressive at the back, but they come up against an opponent that will both keep them at arm’s length and put pressure on their goal. While I back Ghana to give Colombia a real test, I do not predict that they will win this one.