Argentina's journey is more difficult in the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup. After winning all in the group stage, coach Lionel Scaloni's team continuously experienced matches that consumed a lot of energy.
In the round of 16, they defeated Cabo Verde after 120 minutes with a score of 3-2. In the round of 16, they continued to reverse the score to defeat Egypt. Two consecutive matches caused the physical foundation of the players to be significantly eroded before the confrontation with Switzerland.
Lionel Messi is still the most important factor in Argentina's playing style. However, the Argentine captain no longer maintains the continuous acceleration like in the early stages of the tournament.
In that context, Argentina is likely to prioritize controlling the ball instead of pushing up the tempo.
Switzerland is predicted to continue to choose a defensive counter-attacking style of play. The European representative has proven their certainty by keeping a clean sheet in the last two matches in the knockout round.
With the current balance, Argentina is still rated slightly higher in terms of squad quality. However, against Switzerland's disciplined defense and physical condition that is no longer in full swing, the South American team is unlikely to create a match with as many goals as expected.
The 2026 World Cup quarter-final match between Argentina and Switzerland takes place at 8:00 AM on July 12.
