By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Defending champions Argentina survived a dramatic scare before producing a stunning late comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 and book their place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026, where they will face Switzerland after the Europeans edged Colombia in a tense penalty shootout.
The final two Round of 16 matches completed the quarter-final line-up, with Argentina and Switzerland joining France, Morocco, Spain, Belgium, Norway and England in the last eight. Argentina will now take on Switzerland while France meets Morocco, Spain faces Belgium and Norway clashes with England in the other quarter-finals.
Argentina’s clash against Egypt turned into one of the most thrilling matches of the tournament. The African side stunned the holders by taking an early lead through Yasser Ibrahim in the 15th minute before Mostafa Zico doubled the advantage in the 67th minute, leaving Lionel Messi’s team staring at a shock elimination. Egypt even had a third goal ruled out after a VAR review, a decision that proved pivotal.
Argentina launched an extraordinary revival after conceding two goals. Defender Cristian Romero headed home in the 79th minute from a Messi assist to halve the deficit. Four minutes later, Messi redeemed himself after missing a first-half penalty by firing in the equaliser, sending the Argentine fans into delirium. Deep into stoppage time, Enzo Fernandez completed the remarkable turnaround with a close-range winner, sealing a memorable 3-2 victory and keeping Argentina’s title defence alive.
The victory further enhanced Messi’s glittering World Cup legacy, with the veteran captain once again proving decisive in a knockout match despite an earlier penalty miss. Egypt, meanwhile, won widespread admiration for pushing the defending champions to the brink and exited the tournament with their heads held high after one of the finest performances in their World Cup history.
Later, Switzerland and Colombia played out a goalless draw over 120 minutes before the Swiss prevailed 4-3 in the penalty shootout to reach the quarter-finals. Goalkeepers dominated the contest, with neither side able to find the breakthrough in regulation or extra time before Switzerland held their nerve from the spot to set up a last-eight showdown against Argentina.
With the quarter-final field now complete, the battle for football’s biggest prize enters its decisive stage, promising four blockbuster contests featuring eight teams still dreaming of lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy.