Argentina face Switzerland as Messi chases Golden Boot lead
Argentina meet Switzerland in a World Cup quarterfinal in Kansas City, with Lionel Messi central to the defending champions’ title defence.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Argentina will play Switzerland in a FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal on Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri, with the defending champions trying to steady a campaign that has become tense in the knockout rounds. Al Jazeera reported that Lionel Messi, who has scored in all five of Argentina’s matches, can move back ahead in the Golden Boot race if he scores.
The match is scheduled for 8pm local time at Kansas City Stadium, which is 01:00 GMT on Sunday, according to Al Jazeera. The winner will meet either Norway or England in the semifinals in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Argentina pushed after strong group stage
Al Jazeera reported that Argentina won Group J with victories over Austria, Jordan and Algeria. The knockout phase has been harder: Argentina beat Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time in the round of 32, then recovered from two goals down to defeat Egypt 3-2 in the last 16.
That Egypt match drew allegations of officiating bias from the Egyptian camp, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet also reported that Argentina’s recent performances have coincided with a drop to fourth among the favourites and a fall from first to second in the FIFA rankings.
Messi, 39, is playing in his sixth World Cup and possibly his last, Al Jazeera reported. He has eight goals in the tournament, level with France’s Kylian Mbappe, though Mbappe leads on assists after playing one more match.
Al Jazeera reported that Messi scored and assisted against Egypt to help Argentina avoid elimination. The outlet said Messi acknowledged fatigue after playing 120 minutes against Cape Verde and then being heavily involved in the comeback against Egypt.
Switzerland back in the last eight
Switzerland reached the quarterfinals for the first time in 72 years, according to Al Jazeera. Murat Yakin’s side topped Group B unbeaten after wins over Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina and a draw with Qatar.
Al Jazeera reported that Switzerland then beat Algeria 2-0 in the round of 32 before defeating Colombia 4-3 on penalties. Breel Embolo and Johan Manzambi have been among the players highlighted in Switzerland’s run, though Al Jazeera reported that Manzambi will miss the Argentina match with a knee injury.
Yakin said Switzerland see an opening against the holders. “We’re up against the defending champions, which is a unique opportunity. At the same time, we’ve realised that Argentina are not invincible,” Yakin said, according to Al Jazeera. He added that the match should be tactically interesting.
Team news, history and forecasts
Al Jazeera reported no injuries in Argentina’s squad. Switzerland will be without Manzambi and Jaquez, who have knee and muscle injuries, respectively, while Aebischer is doubtful.
Argentina have won five of their seven meetings with Switzerland, with the other two ending in draws, according to Al Jazeera. The teams have met twice at the World Cup, with Argentina winning 2-0 in 1966 and 1-0 in 2014.
Only three players remain from the 2014 match, Al Jazeera reported: Messi, Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka and Swiss defender Ricardo Rodriguez. The 2014 meeting was also the most recent match between the nations.
Opta’s supercomputer gives Argentina a 57.1% chance of winning in regulation time, according to Al Jazeera. Switzerland are rated at 18.7%, while the model puts the chance of extra time at 24.2%.
Al Jazeera listed Argentina’s expected lineup as Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro, Tagliafico; Paredes; De Paul, Enzo, Mac Allister; Messi and Lautaro. Switzerland’s projected team was Kobel; Zakaria, Elvedi, Akanji, Rodriguez; Freuler, Xhaka; Vargas, Rieder, Ndoye; and Embolo.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.