Messi inspires Argentina comeback over Egypt, sets up Switzerland quarterfinal

Argentina turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win over Egypt in Atlanta on Tuesday, but the comeback also exposed how thin the margin remains for the defending champions at the World Cup 2026. Lionel Messi scored and added an assist as Argentina recovered in the closing minutes, and Enzo Fernández finished the decisive move to send Argentina into the quarterfinals.

The recovery was as dramatic as it was unsettling for Argentina. Egypt had twice opened a two-goal cushion before Argentina finally found control late, a sequence that kept the titleholder alive but also left a warning inside the celebration. Messi was visibly emotional after the final whistle, a reaction that matched the strain of a match Argentina had trailed until the late stages and only escaped in the end.

Messi’s goal carried another statistical marker: it extended his record streak to six consecutive knockout-stage matches with a goal in the World Cup. He also delivered his eighth goal of the tournament, reinforcing how much of Argentina’s attacking burden has been concentrated on the 39-year-old captain as the knockout rounds intensify.

If Argentina’s escape in Atlanta suggested vulnerability, Switzerland’s passage in Vancouver underlined how little room there is left for error. Switzerland and Colombia finished 0-0 after 120 minutes, then Switzerland won 4-3 on penalties. Ruben Vargas converted the decisive spot kick, and Gregor Kobel saved one of Colombia’s attempts to send Switzerland through to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1954.

The result completed the last-eight bracket and set Argentina against Switzerland in a quarterfinal scheduled for July 9-11. The match-up pairs the reigning champion, carried again by Messi’s edge in elimination games, with a Swiss side that survived a tense shootout and has already shown the discipline to force a heavy favorite into a narrow, high-pressure game.

With the World Cup being staged across Canada, Mexico and the United States and expanded to 48 teams, the field has already been pared down to eight. Argentina’s comeback preserved its title defense, but the manner of the escape suggests that a slower start against a sharper opponent could be punished quickly.