The U.S. is out. That stings for American fans, and it happened earlier than anyone hoped. But the 2026 World Cup is far from over. Ten matches remain, and the knockout stage keeps rolling today with a pair of Round of 16 games that could set up a monster quarterfinal.
Lionel Messi gets his turn to advance, and Argentina needs him to be the guy again. Here is what to watch on July 7.
Argentina vs. Egypt, 12 p.m. ET (FOX, Telemundo)
Atlanta hosts this one. Argentina is a massive favorite to advance, listed at -900 odds. Egypt sits at +550. On paper, this should not be close. But soccer does not always follow the paper.
Switzerland vs. Colombia, 4 p.m. ET (FOX, Telemundo)
Vancouver gets the late game. Colombia is favored at -155 to advance, with Switzerland at +125. This is the more intriguing matchup of the day, mostly because Colombia has been winning ugly.
Can Messi Keep Up With Mbappe and Haaland?
Here is the thing about the Golden Boot race right now. Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland both have seven goals. Messi also has seven, but he has played one fewer match than those two. That is absurd for a 39-year-old. He has scored seven of Argentina’s 11 goals this tournament. The reigning champions lean on him heavily, and they will do it again today against Egypt.
Egypt is not a total pushover. They have Mohamed Salah, who is currently a free agent after his Liverpool run ended, and Omar Marmoush, who plays for Manchester City. Two legit goal scorers. But Egypt’s defense has been shaky, and Argentina’s attack should find room. The question is whether Messi adds another tally to jump ahead of Mbappe and Haaland on the leaderboard. If he does not, Argentina still probably wins. But it feels like they will need him too much later on if he does not get going now.
Colombia Has Been Winning, But Not Convincingly
Colombia opened the tournament with a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan. Since then? They went 1-0, 0-0, and 1-0. Three tight results. Nobody is arguing with the points, but the team has not looked dominant. That matters because if they advance past Switzerland, Argentina likely waits in the quarterfinals. Colombia will need to show more than a string of one-goal wins to hang with the defending champs.
Switzerland could be a problem. They are organized, tough to break down, and disciplined. They are the type of team that can frustrate a Colombia side that has not exactly been flowing with creativity. This feels like a game that could be decided by one moment, one set piece, one defensive lapse.
Could Either Underdog Actually Pull This Off?
Honestly? Probably not. But the word probably is doing a lot of work there. Switzerland knocking off Colombia is the more realistic upset path. Egypt taking down Argentina feels like a long shot, but Salah can do special things if he gets a half-chance. Both underdogs have enough talent to make things uncomfortable. Uncomfortable does not mean winning, though. The odds reflect that.
Switzerland plays a style that can slow games down and frustrate better teams. If Colombia cannot find a goal early, the tension builds. Egypt is a different story. They have to survive Messi for 90 minutes, and nobody has figured out how to do that yet in this tournament.
Two games today. One feels like a formality. The other could be a real fight. Either way, the knockout bracket starts to take shape, and the remaining field is running out of room for surprises.
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