Argentina’s Journey to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals

Lionel Messi once declared in June 2016 that his time with the national team was over. Fast forward to 2026, after securing one World Cup title and scoring 16 World Cup goals, Messi has led Argentina into the quarterfinals of the World Cup. The team now stands a chance to be the first to win consecutive men’s World Cup titles since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.

Messi’s incredible performances have undoubtedly been pivotal, but the team has also benefited from an unusually favorable draw. According to ESPN analyst Alexis Martin-Tamayo, alias MisterChip, Argentina’s route to the semifinals involved facing teams with a collective high average FIFA ranking. The teams they defeated were Algeria (ranked 28th), Austria (24th), Jordan (63rd), Cape Verde (67th), Egypt (29th), and Switzerland (19th). The average ranking of these opponents was 38th, the highest ever for any team advancing to a World Cup semifinal.

Argentina’s path to the semifinals (with its FIFA ranking before the tournament started): Algeria (28th), Austria (24th), Jordan (63rd), Cape Verde (67th), Egypt (29th), Switzerland (19th) – MisterChip on social media platform X.

Scheduled to play Switzerland in the quarterfinal match on July 11 in Kansas City, Argentina hopes to continue their success.

The group stage was a breeze for Argentina, but the knockout rounds presented challenges. Cape Verde, despite their lower FIFA ranking, pushed Argentina to its limits in the Round of 32, which resulted in a thrilling match that extended into extra time. Cape Verde had moments where an upset seemed possible, but Argentina ultimately prevailed. In the Round of 16 against Egypt, the stakes were even higher. Egypt took a commanding 2-0 lead late into the second half, but Argentina made a dramatic comeback. Cristian Romero scored in the 79th minute, followed by Messi in the 83rd, and Enzo Fernandez secured the victory with a goal in the 90th + 2 minute. It was a stunning example of World Cup drama.

The match against Switzerland could be unpredictable, as recent performances have demonstrated that anything might happen in this tournament.