Lionel Messi. Photo: Getty Images
A Dramatic Finale
The Round of 16 match in Atlanta didn’t go well for the reigning world champions for quite some time. The Egyptians took a 2-0 lead thanks to goals by Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico, while Messi missed a penalty kick in the first half.
However, the end of the match turned into one of the most thrilling moments of the tournament so far. In the 79th minute, Cristian Romero cut the deficit; four minutes later, Lionel Messi equalized with a powerful strike; and in stoppage time, Enzo Fernández secured the victory for Argentina—3–2. For Messi, this goal was his 21st in World Cup history.
Messi has now scored eight times in the tournament, reclaiming the lead in the 2026 World Cup scoring race. Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane are once again forced to play catch-up with Leo. This is truly a historic race: for the first time in a single tournament, three players have each scored seven or more goals.
In the second match of the day, Switzerland drew with Colombia 0–0, then prevailed in the penalty shootout (4–3) to also advance to the next round of the tournament.
All Quarterfinal Matchups
Following the Round of 16 matches, all participants in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup have been determined:
France vs. Morocco;
Spain vs. Belgium;
Norway vs. England;
Argentina vs. Switzerland.
The quarterfinal matches will take place from July 9 to 11. The winner of the Argentina–Switzerland match will face the winner of the Norway–England match in the semifinals.
