Insights from Earlier in the Tournament
A piece from Jonathan Wilson earlier in the tournament that I very much enjoyed: an interview with Luciana Alvarengue, the former maths teacher of Enzo Fernández and Julián Alvarez in Buenos Aires:
Messi's Remarkable World Cup Journey
Lionel Messi, in case you didn’t know, is having quite the World Cup. He became the leading scorer in the history of the men’s tournament, recorded his 200th cap for Argentina, turned 39, fueled two remarkable finishes, and has a goal streak that stretches across six knockout matches, dating back to the 2022 final.
Trivia for the Watch Party
Here’s some trivia for your watch party. Only two players in history have scored in every match of a tournament-winning campaign. They were Alcide Ghigga of Uruguay in 1950 and Jairzinho of Brazil in 1970. The main difference is that they each had fewer games to play: Ghigga played four and Jairzinho played six.
Argentina vs Switzerland: Historical Context
Argentina and Switzerland have met seven times. The Swiss have never won.
One of the more notable encounters: the 2014 World Cup last 16, where Argentina won in extra time en route to their appearance in the final. Lionel Messi, Granit Xhaka and Ricardo Rodriguez all played that day in Brazil and will be on the field again today.
Granit Xhaka on Defending Messi
I don’t know if we can stop him over 90 minutes. It’s going to be very difficult. We have to be smart. We’ll have to be compact, close the gaps and not give him too many spaces. We will try, obviously, to play in possession when we have the ball, and he won’t be able to act as much. We’ll just try to play our game and not allow him to play the ball.
Argentina’s Challenge Ahead
Argentina will need Lionel Messi and much more against Switzerland. They will need to stay in high gear for longer stretches. They cannot rely on vibes alone as they have sometimes seemed to this summer. Yet to many, the chaotic energy of this Argentina side is exactly why they are beloved. Perhaps Lionel Scaloni is among them.
Football is this, not just tactics and strategies,” he said, his voice tinged with emotion after the Egypt match. “Those things are important, no doubt, but if we hadn’t had the heart we had, we would’ve been out.
Other Quarter-Final Updates
Jude Bellingham has put England ahead in the other quarter-final.
Meanwhile, we should have team news shortly for Argentina v Switzerland. A bit more than 90 minutes until kick-off in Kansas City.
In Miami, where it’s quite hot and quite tense, Norway and England are going to extra time in the other quarter-final. Scott Murray has all the updates:
Welcome to the Fourth and Final Quarter-Final
Argentina v Switzerland. The holders v the underdogs. The side that have three World Cups v the side that have never reached the last four. Pure process v pure emotional chaos. A spot in Wednesday’s semi-final against either Norway or England in Atlanta is on the line. If Argentina win, their quest to become the first team to claim back-to-back World Cup titles remains alive. If Switzerland win, they will continue the best major tournament run in their history and ensure an all-European last four.
Path to the Quarter-Finals
How did we get here? After cruising through the group stage, Argentina survived two major scares in the knockout round: first against Cape Verde in extra time in the last 32, then against Egypt in the last 16. They needed stoppage-time heroics and the benefit of an own goal in the former to avoid what might have been the greatest upset in the history of professional sport. In the latter, they trailed 2-0 until the 79th minute. It was Lionel Messi, per usual, who spearheaded a 10-minute swing and pushed his team into the quarter-finals.
Switzerland are in the final eight of the World Cup for the first time since 1954. The Group B winners beat Algeria in the last 32 and then survived a tense chess match of a last-16 game against Colombia before escaping on penalties. Their veteran core has been very good at knockout football in recent years, but much of their success at this tournament has come from the attacking exploits of 20-year-old Johan Manzambi, who has three goals and two assists in two appearances. In a blow to the Nati, he missed the last 16 and is out again with a knee injury for this game.
Looking Ahead
Can Switzerland pull a shock? Will Messi’s magic strike again? I’ll be back soon with team news. In the meantime, send any thoughts to ella.brockway@the.com, and tune in to the end of Norway v England,
