​Cape Verde almost pulled off a shock in extra time, and Egypt came within ten minutes of forcing a regulation finish by overturning a two-goal deficit before Argentina managed to scramble back to win 3-2. In their last two knockout outings, the reigning champions have shown a vulnerability that fast breaks can exploit, and come Saturday in Kansas City, Switzerland arrive at the World Cup quarter-finals with precisely that kind of exposed, high-intensity counterattacking unit. Argentina have swept through all five of their World Cup games so far, cruising through a group that included Algeria, Austria, and Jordan, before the knockout rounds presented stiffer tests. History weighs in their favor too: the two teams have met twice at the World Cup, and Switzerland have yet to beat them, losing 2-0 in the 1966 group stage and 1-0 when Angel Di Maria struck in extra time in the 2014 last-16 clash. Cape Verde’s journey ended in a last-32 defeat to an own goal in extra time, having pushed the eventual finalists close enough to threaten a genuine upset. Egypt, meanwhile, conceded three times in the final eleven minutes of their last-16 encounter after leading by two, a collapse for the Argentines that only found resolution deep into stoppage time.
Lionel Scaloni’s side appear almost unable to lose, in the most literal sense: they have won every game they’ve played at this tournament, including both knockout ties that carried real jeopardy. That gritty ability to find a path through echoes Argentina’s run to the 2022 title, when penalty shootout victories over the Netherlands and France helped them lift the trophy in Qatar, showing a similar pattern of surviving adversity rather than merely avoiding it. The other side of that ledger is exactly what Cape Verde and Egypt have revealed along the way. Fast breaks have repeatedly troubled Scaloni’s defense, and against tougher opposition at this stage of the competition, that backbone will face a sterner test than any of Argentina’s previous two opponents could offer.
Messi continues to defy aging, with eight goals to his name so far, including a hat-trick and the late equaliser against Egypt that kept the team pressing forward. His contribution has sustained Argentina as questions accumulate about the players around him. Julian Alvarez, maybe unsettled by transfer whispers and still regaining match sharpness after an injury sustained before the tournament, has yet to score, though he looked sharper against Egypt and was denied only by an excellent save. Messi’s value to this Argentina squad goes beyond the numbers he accumulates. Former captain Javier Zanetti, speaking to Sky Sports before the tournament, described Messi’s presence as a source of calm as much as output, insisting that having him on the pitch gives a sense of composure because he can decide a moment, and noting that he is supported by an excellent surrounding cast. Ten of the starting eleven from the 2022 final are back in this squad, a level of continuity that gives Scaloni’s side a degree of stability and a framework that can translate into sustained success at the highest level.