The 2026 FIFA World Cup is entering its decisive phase: the Round of 32 is fully complete, and the WC 2026 match schedule in Kyiv time for July 4 already opens the Round of 16. Three matches that concluded overnight and in the early morning Kyiv time determined the final participants of the next round — and they are the main story of today's update.
Argentina survive extra time, Egypt advance on penalties
The biggest story of the night was the Argentina vs. Cape Verde match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The reigning world champions won 3–2 in extra time: Cape Verde equalized twice after conceding, but ultimately fell short. Kick-off was at 01:00 Kyiv time (18:00 ET on July 3), with the match ending at approximately 03:30 Kyiv time — after the morning digest had already been published.
Earlier that same night, at 22:00 Kyiv time (15:00 ET), Egypt knocked out Australia on penalties — 4–2 after a 1–1 draw in regular and extra time. It was Egypt's first-ever win in a World Cup knockout match. Notably, star forward Mohamed Salah had recovered from a thigh injury, but coach Hossam Hassan was in no rush to risk his fitness — details of his involvement in the match were being clarified until the very last moment. Egypt also played without midfielder Mohamed Lashin, who was suspended after picking up two yellow cards in the group stage.
Colombia vs. Ghana (kick-off at 04:30 Kyiv time, 21:30 ET) was the third match of the night: Colombia won 1–0 and also advanced to the Round of 16. More details on that match can be found in the article on the evening matches of July 3.
All group stage and Round of 32 matches in Kyiv time: a summary
The group stage ran from June 11 to June 27, and the Round of 32 from June 28 to July 4 (Kyiv time). In total, WC 2026 features 104 matches — a record number in the tournament's history thanks to the expanded 48-team format. All 16 Round of 32 fixtures have been played: Canada, Brazil, Paraguay, Morocco, Norway, France, Mexico, England, Belgium, the USA, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Argentina, Egypt, and Colombia have all advanced to the Round of 16.
For reference: matches starting at 12:00 ET correspond to 19:00 Kyiv time, at 15:00 ET — 22:00 Kyiv time, at 18:00 ET — 01:00 Kyiv time the following day, at 21:30 ET — 04:30 Kyiv time. That is why most knockout matches finish after midnight in Kyiv.
Round of 16 fixtures: dates and Kyiv times
The Round of 16 begins today, July 4, and runs through July 7. The WC 2026 match schedule in Kyiv time for the coming days:
- Saturday, July 4: Canada vs. Morocco (kick-off 20:00 Kyiv time, NRG Stadium, Houston); France vs. Paraguay (kick-off 00:00 Kyiv time on July 5, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
- Sunday, July 5: Brazil vs. Norway (kick-off 23:00 Kyiv time, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey); Mexico vs. England (kick-off 03:00 Kyiv time on July 6, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City)
- Monday, July 6: Spain vs. Portugal (kick-off 22:00 Kyiv time, AT&T Stadium, Dallas); USA vs. Belgium (kick-off 02:00 Kyiv time on July 7, Lumen Field, Seattle)
- Tuesday, July 7: Argentina vs. Egypt (kick-off 19:00 Kyiv time, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta); Switzerland vs. Colombia (kick-off 23:00 Kyiv time, BC Place, Vancouver)
Detailed schedules for previous days can be found in the articles Argentina vs. Cape Verde and two more matches: WC 2026 schedule in Kyiv time and USA in the Round of 32, Balogun suspended: WC 2026 schedule.
How to convert ET to Kyiv time
All official FIFA kick-off times for WC 2026 are published in Eastern Time (ET, UTC−4). To get Kyiv time (UTC+3), add 7 hours to the ET time. For example, a match at 13:00 ET = 20:00 Kyiv time; a match at 21:00 ET = 04:00 Kyiv time the following day. That is why most "evening" matches in the US are watched by Ukrainian viewers late at night or in the early morning.
Tonight features Canada vs. Morocco and France vs. Paraguay; a detailed preview of both fixtures will follow in the preview section.
Photo: Sean Leahy · Editorial (source)
