Kansas City: Argentina prepares for Switzerland World Cup quarterfinal

By Rohan Gupta — 11 July 2026 — 3 min read

Argentina’s World Cup Campaign Continues

Argentina is set to face Switzerland in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal at Kansas City Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The match is scheduled for Saturday at 8 PM (01:00 GMT on Sunday). The reigning champions have navigated through two challenging knockout matches, leading them to this stage of the tournament.

Despite a strong group stage performance where they topped Group J with victories over Austria, Jordan, and Algeria, Argentina’s knockout phase has been described as unconvincing. They narrowly defeated Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time in the round of 32 and came back from a two-goal deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 in the last 16, a match that sparked allegations of officiating bias.

These performances have led to Argentina slipping from the top spot to number two in the FIFA rankings and being placed fourth among the favourites. Switzerland, on the other hand, has made a quiet but remarkable return to the quarterfinals for the first time in 72 years.

Swiss Confidence and Messi’s Role

The Swiss team topped Group B with an unbeaten record, securing wins against Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and drawing with Qatar. They advanced past Algeria with a 2-0 win in the round of 32 and defeated Colombia 4-3 on penalties to reach the quarterfinals.

Switzerland coach Murat Yakin expressed confidence, stating, “We’re up against the defending champions, which is a unique opportunity. At the same time, we’ve realised that Argentina are not invincible.” This sentiment is shared within the Swiss camp, with midfielder Denis Zakaria acknowledging Lionel Messi’s brilliance but asserting that Switzerland has identified weaknesses in Argentina’s play.

Zakaria described Messi as one of the world’s best players but emphasised the need for a collective effort to contain him and the rest of the Argentine squad. Forward Zeki Amdouni echoed this, stating that the team has studied Argentina and believes there are spaces to exploit. He added that while Messi is a great player, the Swiss are determined to give their all to beat Argentina.

Messi, at 39 years old, has maintained a perfect scoring record in Argentina’s five matches so far in the tournament, with eight goals. He is currently second in the Golden Boot race, behind Kylian Mbappe, who also has eight goals but has played one more game. Despite admitting fatigue after playing 120 minutes against Cape Verde and a demanding match against Egypt, Messi continues to be a crucial part of Argentina’s attack.

Team News and Predictions

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has dismissed concerns about Messi’s workload, affirming that the captain remains in peak physical condition. Scaloni noted that tracking data shows Messi is covering similar distances in matches as in previous tournaments. He also highlighted Messi’s continued freedom regarding penalty duties and tactical positioning on the field, stating that the team adapts around him.

For Argentina, no injuries have been reported. Their predicted lineup is (4-1-3-2): Martinez (goalkeeper); Molina, Romero, Lisandro, Tagliafico; Paredes; De Paul, Enzo, Mac Allister; Messi, Lautaro. Switzerland, however, faces some injury concerns, with Johan Manzambi and Jaquez out due to knee and muscle injuries, respectively, and Aebischer doubtful. Manzambi, a 20-year-old player, also missed the previous game.

Switzerland’s predicted lineup is (4-2-3-1): Kobel (goalkeeper); Zakaria, Elvedi, Akanji, Rodriguez; Freuler, Xhaka; Vargas, Rieder, Ndoye; Embolo. The Opta supercomputer gives Argentina a 57.1 percent likelihood of winning in regulation time, while Switzerland’s chances are 18.7 percent. There is a 24.2 percent probability of the game going into extra time. The winner of this quarterfinal will advance to face either Norway or England in the semifinals in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Historically, Argentina and Switzerland have met seven times, with Argentina winning five matches and two ending in a draw. Argentina has won both of their World Cup encounters against Switzerland: 2-0 in a group game in 1966 and 1-0 in the round of 16 in 2014, which was their last meeting in any competition.

Source: aljazeera.com

Rohan Gupta

Sports Reporter