The Round of 16 is officially in the books, and the World Cup quarterfinal bracket is locked in. Eight teams are still alive, and the knockout rounds keep getting tighter.
After a day off on July 8, play resumes July 9 with France taking on Morocco. That’s the first of four quarterfinal matchups spread across four days.
Argentina fans will have to wait a little longer. Lionel Messi and his squad don’t step back on the pitch until Saturday, July 11, when they face Switzerland. It’s a game that feels like a formality on paper, but Switzerland has a way of making things uncomfortable for bigger names. They’ve done it before.
The full quarterfinal schedule
Here’s how the rest of the bracket shakes out, per the official World Cup account on X:
July 9: France vs. Morocco
July 10: Spain vs. Belgium
July 11: Norway vs. England
July 11: Argentina vs. Switzerland
That doubleheader on July 11 is the kind of Saturday that makes you cancel plans. Norway and England has a chance to be a mess in the best way — Erling Haaland against a stacked English defense. Then Argentina and Switzerland closes the night.
Messi hasn’t slowed down yet
The guy is 38 and still carrying a nation on his back. Argentina looked shaky in the group stage but turned it on in the Round of 16. Messi scored once and set up another in that win. If they get past Switzerland, the semifinal would be against the winner of Norway-England. That’s not a gimme.
Switzerland plays compact, they foul smart, and they’ve got enough pace on the counter to make Argentina’s back line nervous. But Messi in a knockout game is different. He’s been here before, obviously. That final in 2022 still echoes.
This story will update as more details come in, including injury reports and lineup projections closer to matchday.
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