Kansas City, July 11: Argentina will take on Switzerland in the final quarter-final of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The match is scheduled to be held at Kansas City Stadium on Sunday at 6:30 AM IST.
As the reigning champions, Argentina aims to secure a spot in the semi-finals for the second consecutive time. They achieved three straight victories in Group J, with Lionel Messi contributing six goals. Messi also scored two more goals in the knockout stage, including a crucial equalizer against Egypt in the Round of 16. With a total of eight goals in this World Cup, Messi is now the highest scorer in FIFA World Cup history, boasting 21 goals. Fans are hopeful that he will further enhance this record.
However, to secure victories against both Egypt and Cape Verde, coach Lionel Scaloni’s team displayed remarkable determination. Argentina had to rely on an extra-time own goal to defeat a team making its debut in the Round of 32. Following that, they faced another tough match against the North African team, where they managed to score three late goals to narrowly win against Egypt.
On the other hand, Switzerland has quietly achieved its goals. Coach Murat Yakin’s team not only reached the quarter-finals for the first time since the 1954 FIFA World Cup but also secured two consecutive knockout wins in the Midwest, a first for any global tournament. The Alpine team defeated Algeria 2-0 in the Round of 32. Subsequently, they triumphed over Colombia in a penalty shootout after a tied match in the Round of 16.
Argentina’s Team:
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez, Geronimo Rulli, Juan Musso.
Defenders: Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Leonardo Balerdi, Nicolas Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico, Facundo Medina.
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Giovanni Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Enzo Fernandez, Valentin Barco.
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez, Thiago Almada, Nicolas Paz, Nicolas Gonzalez, Giuliano Simon, Jose Manuel Lopez.
Switzerland’s Team:
Goalkeepers: Gregor Kobel, Yvon Mvogo, Jonas Omlin.
Defenders: Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi, Ricardo Rodriguez, Silvan Widmer, Cedric Itten, Eray Comert, Ulysses Garcia, Lucas Blondel, Bekir Omeragic.
Midfielders: Granit Xhaka, Denis Zakaria, Remo Freuler, Ardon Jashari, Vincent Sierro, Michel Aebischer, Fabian Rieder, Dan Ndoye, Ruben Vargas, Renato Steffen, Philipp Ugrinic.
Forwards: Breel Embolo, Jacky Amadouni, Noah Okafor, Joel Monteiro, Kwame Dua, Albian Hajdari.
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