World Cup Nights: Cape Verde scare Argentina, Egypt make history on penalties. The last 16 starts tonight

A spine-tingling night of Cup football. In Miami, world champions Argentina survived a huge Cape Verde scare and edged through 3-2 after extra time, with a Messi goal and a decisive Romero header. In Dallas, Egypt knocked Australia out on penalties - a Salah panenka the pick of the bunch - to reach the first round of 16 in their history. In Kansas City, Colombia saw off Ghana 1-0 through Arias. And from tonight, Italian time, the last 16 begins: Canada-Morocco and Paraguay-France get us under way.

It began in Miami, where the maddest game of the night unfolded. At Hard Rock Stadium, Argentina went ahead on 29' with a Lionel Messi gem, teed up by a sublime Lisandro Martinez touch: it was the Flea's 20th career World Cup goal, stretching his lead atop the tournament's scoring chart. But Cape Verde, at their first-ever World Cup, refused to bow: on 59' Deroy Duarte nutmegged Lisandro and beat Emiliano Martinez for 1-1. To extra time it went, and there the thriller exploded. On 92' Lisandro Martinez made amends and put La Albiceleste back ahead from a corner; eleven minutes later Sidny Lopes Cabral scored the goal of the night, a curling strike from an impossible angle for 2-2. Just as penalties loomed, up stepped Cristian Romero: on 111' he rose to meet a Messi corner and forced the decisive touch (a Diny Borges own goal) for the final 3-2. The world champions are through, but Cape Verde's debutants go out with their heads held high, a whisker from the most stunning comeback in World Cup history.

In Dallas, meanwhile, Egypt wrote history. Emam Ashour put the Pharaohs ahead on 13' with a precise near-post header, but Australia - roared on by their fans - levelled on 55' through an unlucky Mohamed Hany own goal, the first player ever to score two own goals in the same World Cup edition. After 120 minutes of battle it went to penalties, and there Egypt were flawless: four from four, capped by the panenka with which captain Mohamed Salah wrong-footed Mathew Ryan. Harry Souttar and 18-year-old Lucas Harrington missed for Australia. Tony Popovic's call to withdraw goalkeeper Patrick Beach - superb with a string of saves - right before the shootout, on 119', backfired badly. It ended 4-2 from the spot: Egypt win the first knockout tie in their World Cup history and march into the last 16, where Argentina now await.

Kansas City completed the picture, and Colombia gave nothing away. At Arrowhead Stadium a single Jhon Arias goal on 14', tucked home from a Suarez cross, was enough to beat a Ghana side that never truly threatened (not one shot on target). Los Cafeteros earn a last-16 date with Switzerland, on Tuesday in Vancouver. Off the pitch, the storylines kept coming: the United States will be without Folarin Balogun, suspended after his red card and forced to miss the round-of-16 tie with Belgium ('an emotional roller coaster', the striker admitted). And some are already looking ahead: Jurgen Klopp has confirmed talks over the Germany job, after the four-time champions' shock shootout exit to Paraguay.

But the real headline is that from tonight, Italian time, the bracket comes alive with the first round-of-16 ties. It starts at 19:00 with Canada-Morocco in Houston: the co-hosts, fresh from beating South Africa, take on the Morocco side that reached the 2022 semis and knocked out the Netherlands on penalties. At 23:00 in Philadelphia, it's Paraguay-France: La Albirroja, Germany's executioners, chase another upset against Mbappe's Bleus, 3-0 winners over Sweden. Two wide-open ties to open the most compelling round of the World Cup.

And the weekend promises fireworks: on Sunday Brazil face Norway (22:00) and Mexico host Kane's England at the iconic Azteca (Monday at 02:00, altitude the big unknown); Monday night brings the main course, the Iberian derby Spain-Portugal at 21:00 in Dallas, then USA-Belgium in the small hours. Tuesday closes with Argentina-Egypt and Switzerland-Colombia. On we go, one night at a time. See you tomorrow at dawn.

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