分类： sports

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico enters its final day of group-stage competition, eight national sides remain locked in a tight battle for the four remaining spots in the tournament’s round of 32. So far, the three co-host nations have all secured their place in the knockout rounds, joining pre-tournament favorites and top-ranked sides including France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, and Norway, among other successful qualifiers.

With group-stage play winding down, the knockout bracket is already taking clear shape. The host United States, whose two-game winning streak was brought to a halt by a defeat to Turkey, will open their knockout campaign against Bosnia-Herzegovina on July 1 in Santa Clara, California. Ranked 62nd in the FIFA world rankings, Bosnia-Herzegovina earned its knockout spot as the third-place finisher in Group B with four points from one win, one draw, and one loss. The match marks a welcome return to full contention for U.S. star Christian Pulisic, who came off the bench in the second half against Turkey after recovering from a calf injury that forced him out early in the opening win over Paraguay. “We play every game like a knockout game,” said U.S. midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who found the back of the net against Turkey. “You saw that in our intensity and the way we worked. For us, it’s keep doing what we’ve been doing.”

Canada, which made history by reaching its first World Cup knockout stage as Group B runner-up with four points, will face South Africa, another historic qualifier that also earned four points as Group A runner-up including a stunning upset win over South Korea, in Southern California on June 28. This marks the first time both nations have progressed to the knockout round of a men’s World Cup.

Other confirmed high-profile round of 32 fixtures are already set across the three host countries. Five-time World Cup champion Brazil will face Japan on June 29. Japan secured its place as Group F runner-up with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Sweden, a matchup that carries extra narrative: Brazilian football legend Zico was brought in by Japan’s football association in 1991 to professionalize the nation’s domestic league and support its successful co-host bid for the 2002 World Cup, making this clash a full-circle moment for Japanese football to show how far the program has come against the global gold standard. After an opening draw against Morocco, Brazil bounced back to win its next two group games 3-0, with Vinícius Júnior silencing early critics and star forward Neymar returning to form after a minor injury. Japan, for its part, earned two draws and a dominant 4-0 rout of Tunisia to book its knockout spot.

Also on June 29, the Netherlands, who topped Group F after outscoring opponents Sweden and Tunisia by a combined 8-2, will face Morocco, the 2022 World Cup semifinalists that finished unbeaten in Group C and are chasing history to become the first African nation to lift the World Cup trophy. That same day, four-time champion Germany will face Paraguay. Like the U.S., Germany clinched its group spot early and rested key players in its final group game, resulting in a late low-stakes defeat, but enter the knockout round as heavy favorites against Paraguay, who lost 4-1 to the U.S. in its opener but recovered enough to claim a knockout spot.

On June 30, tournament favorite France, who won all three of its group matches to live up to pre-tournament expectations, will face Sweden, which holds a 5-1 win, 5-1 loss, and one draw from group play. That same day, Norway, which rested star striker Erling Haaland and nearly all of its starting lineup in its final group game after failing to catch France at the top of Group I, will face Ivory Coast at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas.

Two more round of 32 matches are set for July 3. Australia, which picked up one win, one loss, and one draw in group play, will face Egypt, who advanced as Group G runner-up after a late late equalizer from Iran was ruled out for offside. In the other July 3 fixture, defending World Cup champion Argentina, who already sealed top spot in Group J, will face Cape Verde, the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup knockout stage, who enter the match as massive underdogs.

The path to the round of 32 for third-place teams follows a specific format: only the top eight third-place finishers across all groups advance, with tiebreakers decided first by goal differential, then by total goals scored if needed. So far, any team that has earned four points from three group games has secured a knockout spot, with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sweden, Ecuador, and Paraguay all advancing via this route. Scotland, by contrast, is a long shot to qualify with three points, and needs multiple favorable results to break into the knockout stage, leaving its passionate fanbase waiting on a series of unlikely outcomes.

On the final day of group play, three key matchups will decide the last remaining qualification spots. At 5 p.m. ET, Group L will wrap up with Panama facing England and Croatia taking on Ghana. Panama has already been eliminated, while England and Ghana will advance with any result other than a lopsided loss, and can still progress even in defeat if the margin is small. Croatia advances with either a win or a draw. In Group K kicking off at 7:30 p.m. ET, Colombia faces Portugal and Congo takes on Uzbekistan. Colombia has already advanced, and will finish top of the group with a win or draw against Portugal, who will advance with a draw and claim first place with a win. Congo advances with a win or draw and is eliminated with a loss, while Uzbekistan is a long shot that needs a dominant victory to qualify. Finally, at 10 p.m. ET in Group J, Algeria faces Austria and winless Jordan takes on already-qualified group winners Argentina. Jordan has been eliminated, and barring a multigoal Croatia defeat to Ghana, the winner of Algeria-Austria will advance, while the loser retains an outside chance. A draw would see Austria qualify, and would likely send Algeria through as well.

When thousands of diehard Argentina soccer fans descended on Dallas, Texas for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a surprisingly heated debate emerged off the pitch — one that had nothing to do with starting lineups, tournament brackets, or Lionel Messi’s GOAT status. Instead, the crowd clashed over a question deeply rooted in the culinary and cultural identity of both regions: which part of the world produces the juiciest, most flavorful steak, and what’s the correct way to prepare it?

This friendly rivalry over red meat comes as no surprise: both Texas and Argentina are globally renowned powerhouses in cattle ranching and beef production. According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Texas holds the top spot for beef output across the United States, and the U.S. as a whole ranks second globally in beef production, behind only Brazil. Argentina lands sixth on the world ranking, and steak remains a central pillar of its national diet and cultural tradition.

To many long-time Argentine chefs and transplants living in Texas, the answer is clear: Argentine beef cannot be matched. “Argentine beef is simply unbeatable. The savory texture, the style of the cut — there is no competing with it,” said Carlos Eduardo Barahona, a 64-year-old Argentine chef who has made Texas his home since 1998, after working in kitchens across Argentina, Uruguay and the U.S. Barahona argues that the quality gap holds across every price point: even the most affordable cut of Argentine beef transforms into a delicious asado, the traditional Argentine open-fire grilled meal, while high-end cuts from U.S. suppliers can often turn out tough or inconsistent depending on their source. The difference, he explains, stems from production practices: nearly all Argentine beef cattle are grass-fed on expansive open pastures, requiring a longer growing period before they reach market. This process produces leaner meat with a deep, rich, earthy flavor that can’t be replicated.

Texan beef advocates have their own strong case to make, rooted in different production traditions. Most beef raised in Texas and across the U.S. is grain-fed, a practice that creates higher levels of intramuscular marbling — the thin streaks of fat that baste the meat from within as it cooks, resulting in a reliably juicy, tender cut with a naturally sweeter flavor profile. “There’s no better beef than U.S. beef, particularly Texas beef,” said Sid Miller, Texas’ Agriculture Commissioner. That said, Miller was quick to acknowledge that Argentine beef has improved dramatically in recent decades — and he credits Texas for that progress. More than 10 years ago, Miller’s agency opened a marketing office that connects Texas cattle raisers with South American ranchers, primarily in Argentina. “I don’t want to disparage our friends in Argentina, but we have helped them improve,” Miller explained. “Their genetics were lacking. We do have them up to pretty high quality. We sold them a lot of semen, embryos, and breeding stock. Their herds have American genetics in them, so they should be good.”

For many fans caught in the middle of the debate, the verdict comes down to personal preference, not regional supremacy. After watching Messi lead Argentina to a 2-0 win over Austria in Dallas, Argentine fan Gonzalo Herrera browsed the meat aisle at a local Walmart in Arlington, picking up four T-bone steaks for a post-match cookout. He shrugged off the rivalry, saying “Honestly, I don’t see a massive difference. The key is knowing exactly which cuts to buy and finding the equivalent of what we eat in Argentina.” Herrera did note one clear difference between the two regions: steak prices are significantly higher in Texas than back home.

Much of the disagreement also boils down to preparation tradition, rather than the quality of the meat itself. Preparations, seasoning choices, and cut preferences vary drastically between the two cultures. At Corrientes 348, a popular Argentinian steakhouse in Dallas, assistant manager Emmanuel Tobon explained that authentic Argentine steaks are seasoned only with salt and grilled over mesquite charcoal, to let the natural flavor of the beef take center stage. By contrast, Tobon noted, most Texan preparations rely on heavy pepper, butter, and barbecue sauce to add flavor. With Argentina set to play at least one more group stage match in Dallas on Saturday, the restaurant has been packed with Albiceleste fans craving a small taste of home amid the World Cup excitement. Tobon says fans have embraced the local culture too, noting “They have been enjoying the Texas culture. But it has been a great pleasure to have all of them, to make them feel like home.”

Many fans agree that while preparation traditions differ, both regions produce high-quality beef. Fernando Garcia Morillo, an Argentine transplant from Buenos Aires now living near Miami, says he loves U.S. steak, but still misses the traditional preparation methods of home. “I order just salt, no pepper, just plain,” he said of ordering steak in the U.S. “Sometimes they use a lot of sauce.” Morillo dismissed the idea of any real hard feelings between the two beef cultures, noting the only real South American beef rivalry is between Argentina and its neighbor Brazil, adding “I love the U.S. meat.”