Argentina vs Switzerland: World Cup Quarter-Final Preview, Odds and Prediction

The last quarter-final of the tournament arrives on Sunday, July 12, when defending champions Argentina face Switzerland at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The winner reaches the semi-finals, and few teams have taken a more dramatic route to get this far than either of these two.

Argentina survived an extra-time scare against World Cup debutants Cape Verde in the Round of 32, then produced one of the games of the tournament against Egypt, coming back from 2-0 down with 11 minutes to go. Cristian Romero headed in from a Messi assist, Messi himself levelled with a first-time strike after missing an earlier penalty, and Enzo Fernandez completed the turnaround with a stoppage-time header. Messi's equaliser was his 21st World Cup finals goal, extending his own all-time record, and his eighth of this tournament, putting him a clear one goal ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot. At 39, and with teammates openly referring to it as his last World Cup, there is a growing sense that this Argentina run is being carried as much by emotion as by quality.

Switzerland took the harder, quieter route: a goalless draw with Colombia followed by a 4-3 win on penalties, Ruben Vargas converting the decisive spot kick, to reach their first World Cup quarter-final since 1954.

Odds and Betting Tips

Argentina have opened as clear favourites, reflecting both their pedigree and Switzerland's more attritional run to this stage.

Argentina vs Switzerland 1X2

1 (Argentina)	X (Draw)	2 (Switzerland)
1.69	3.70	5.50

Both Teams to Score

Yes	No
2.10	1.71

Over/Under 2.5 Goals

Over 2.5	Under 2.5
1.91	1.83

Correct Score (indicative)

Prediction	Approx. Odds
Argentina 1-0 Switzerland	5.50

Odds are a snapshot from the days before kick-off and will shift with team news, so check current prices with a licensed operator before betting.

Argentina's Case

Scaloni's side have won all six matches they have played so far without needing penalties themselves, but have shown real defensive vulnerability in the knockout rounds, conceding in both their last two matches before finding a way to win regardless. That resilience, more than any tactical dominance, has been the story of their tournament. With around 17 players retained from the 2022 winning squad and Messi playing what may be a farewell World Cup, this group carries both experience and motivation in equal measure.

Switzerland's Case

Murat Yakin's side have been the tournament's quiet overachievers, built on defensive discipline rather than star power. Gregor Kobel was the hero of the shootout win over Colombia, and Granit Xhaka's experience anchoring midfield gives them a platform to sit deep and counter through Breel Embolo, already on three goals, and the pace of Dan Ndoye and Ruben Vargas. Reaching a first quarter-final in 72 years is already a landmark, but Switzerland have never beaten Argentina in seven previous meetings.

Head-to-Head

Argentina have a perfect record against Switzerland across seven meetings stretching back to 1966, including a World Cup Round of 16 win in 2014 settled by an Angel Di Maria goal in extra time.

Games won by Argentina	Drawn	Games won by Switzerland
5	2	0

Previous meetings

Date	Match	Result	Score	Competition
19 Jul 1966	Argentina vs Switzerland	Argentina won	2-0	FIFA World Cup
16 Dec 1980	Argentina vs Switzerland	Argentina won	5-0	International Friendly
1 Sep 1984	Switzerland vs Argentina	Argentina won	0-2	International Friendly
8 May 1990	Switzerland vs Argentina	Draw	1-1	International Friendly
2 Jun 2007	Switzerland vs Argentina	Draw	1-1	International Friendly
29 Feb 2012	Switzerland vs Argentina	Argentina won	1-3	International Friendly
1 Jul 2014	Argentina vs Switzerland	Argentina won	1-0	FIFA World Cup (Round of 16)

Recent Form

Argentina (W-W-W-W-W)

Date	Match	Result	Score
7 Jul 2026	Argentina vs Egypt	W	3-2
3 Jul 2026	Argentina vs Cape Verde	W	3-2 (AET)
27 Jun 2026	Argentina vs Jordan	W	2-0
22 Jun 2026	Argentina vs Austria	W	2-0
16 Jun 2026	Argentina vs Algeria	W	3-0

Switzerland (D-W-W-W-D)

Date	Match	Result	Score
7 Jul 2026	Switzerland vs Colombia	D	0-0 (Switzerland won 4-3 on pens)
3 Jul 2026	Switzerland vs Algeria	W	2-0
24 Jun 2026	Switzerland vs Canada	W	2-1
18 Jun 2026	Switzerland vs Bosnia	W	4-1
13 Jun 2026	Switzerland vs Qatar	D	1-1

Predicted Lineups

Argentina (4-4-2, Lionel Scaloni)

GK: Emiliano Martínez | RB: Nahuel Molina | CB: Cristian Romero | CB: Lisandro Martínez | LB: Nicolás Tagliafico | CM: Rodrigo De Paul | CM: Enzo Fernández | CM: Alexis Mac Allister | RW: Lionel Messi (C) | ST: Lautaro Martínez | LW: Thiago Almada

Switzerland (4-2-3-1, Murat Yakin)

GK: Gregor Kobel | RB: Denis Zakaria | CB: Nico Elvedi | CB: Manuel Akanji | LB: Ricardo Rodríguez | CM: Remo Freuler | CM: Granit Xhaka (C) | RW: Dan Ndoye | AM: Fabian Rieder | LW: Rubén Vargas | ST: Breel Embolo

Prediction

Switzerland's discipline and Kobel's form make them a genuinely awkward opponent, but Argentina's habit of finding a way through, combined with Messi's individual quality and the emotional weight of a possible farewell tournament, make them the favourites to grind out another narrow win and reach the semi-finals.

How to Watch

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