FIFA World Cup hits 3,000-goal milestone as knockout stage heats up, and crypto sportsbooks are watching
Argentina's dramatic comeback against Egypt delivered a historic goal while blockchain-based betting platforms see surging volumes around the tournament's quarterfinal matchups.
Enzo Fernández doesn’t just score goals. He scores historically significant ones in stoppage time while his team is supposed to be losing. The Argentina midfielder buried the 3,000th goal in men’s World Cup history on July 7, completing a jaw-dropping 3-2 comeback against Egypt in the Round of 16 and sending Argentina into the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The tournament, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, has now whittled its expanded 48-team field down to a final eight.
The comeback that made history
Argentina trailed 2-0 after 79 minutes. Then Cristian Romero pulled one back. Lionel Messi converted a penalty to equalize. And Fernández finished the job in stoppage time with the goal that pushed men’s World Cup history past the 3,000-goal mark.
The eight quarterfinalists are now set: Argentina, France, Morocco, England, Spain, Belgium, Norway, and Switzerland. Matches are scheduled between July 9 and 11, with the tournament’s final set for July 19.
The 48-team experiment is working, kind of
This is the first World Cup to feature 48 teams, up from 32 in previous editions. The expanded format added a Round of 32 before the traditional Round of 16, meaning the knockout stage has been significantly longer.
The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19 across three host nations.