Switzerland and Colombia in balanced clash

Egypt dreams of historic achievement against Messi and teammates

The clash between Argentine star Lionel Messi and Egyptian star Mohamed Salah headlines the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup this Tuesday evening, as their teams meet at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Defending champions Argentina survived a shock defeat against Cape Verde, a World Cup debutant, in the Round of 32 of the tournament currently being held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Meanwhile, Egypt needed a penalty shootout to overcome Australia in its first appearance in the knockout stages of the World Cup.

It was no surprise that Argentina were overwhelming favorites against Cape Verde, but they unexpectedly faced a tough match against the stubborn 'Blue Sharks,' who came from behind twice to force an unexpected extra time in the Round of 32. Ultimately, the world champions snatched their Round of 16 ticket thanks to an own goal when Cape Verde's Dione Borges scored into his own net in the 111th minute, giving Lionel Scaloni's men the win over the African side, whose players fired 16 shots at Argentina's goal but could not overcome the experience of the 'Tango dancers' over 120 minutes.

Argentina are known for their exceptional performances in extra time in all World Cups, having now won 10 of their 12 World Cup matches that went beyond 90 minutes, with four wins without penalties and six wins on penalties.

Despite the difficulty of the Round of 32 for Argentina fans, their team is now on a remarkable eight-match winning streak in all competitions, scoring two or more goals in each victory, bringing their tally to 11 goals in four matches in the current World Cup so far.

For its part, Egypt qualified for the 1934 World Cup directly to the knockout stage in the second edition, which featured only 16 teams. But their first World Cup win, a 3-1 victory over New Zealand in the group stage, was followed by an even greater historic win in Arlington this time. After an exciting match that went to penalties against Australia, Egypt achieved a 100% success rate in their spot kicks, thanks in part to Salah's audacious Panenka penalty, while Australian defenders Harry Souttar and Lucas Herrington missed their penalties over the bar, earning the Pharaohs a historic achievement by reaching the World Cup Round of 16 for the first time. Salah's tears after the match told the whole story for Egypt, who now set aside the joy of their first Round of 16 appearance as they strive to shore up defensive gaps before facing the current world champions. Hossam Hassan's men have conceded at least one goal in six consecutive matches, after previously keeping three consecutive clean sheets.

Meanwhile, Switzerland face Colombia at BC Place in Vancouver. The Swiss booked their Round of 16 spot after a deserved 2-0 win over Algeria in the Round of 32, while Colombia advanced after overcoming a tough Ghana side 1-0. The real turning point in Switzerland's campaign came after the big 4-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, a match that saw all five goals after the 74th minute, thanks to the huge impact of substitutes Johan Manzambi and Ruben Vargas. That brilliance prompted coach Yakin to rely on them as starters in the final group match, which ended in a 2-1 win over co-hosts Canada, securing top spot in Group B for the Swiss. The duo continued their fine form in the Round of 32 against Algeria, as 20-year-old midfielder Manzambi set up the first goal for teammate Breel Embolo just 10 minutes into the match. On the other hand, Colombia, under coach Nestor Lorenzo, enter the match high on confidence with an impressive run of five wins and one draw in their last six matches across all competitions. The only draw in that streak was a 0-0 stalemate against Portugal, led by the phenomenal Cristiano Ronaldo, in the final group match, a game that saw a stoppage-time goal by defender Davinson Sanchez ruled out for offside.

Colombia topped Group 11 to face Ghana in the Round of 32, securing a valuable 1-0 win despite the early loss of striker John Cordoba to injury.