Messi, Argentina vs. Switzerland Top Storylines, Odds, Live Stream for World Cup 2026

Lionel Messi and Argentina have lived a dangerous life in the knockout round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Argentina survived upset bids from Cape Verde and Egypt to make it to the quarterfinals.

On the other hand, Switzerland's had a more stable push into the final eight.

The Swiss did not allow a goal in 210 minutes against Algeria and Colombia. Their defense will be vital once again if they want to spring an upset on Saturday in Kansas City.

Match Info and Odds

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Date: Saturday, July 11

Start Time: 9 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Live Stream: Fox One or FoxSports.com

Odds (via FanDuel Sportsbook):

To Qualify for Next Round: Argentina (-340; bet $340 to win $100); Switzerland (+260; bet $100 to win $260)

90-Minute Money Line: Argentina (-150); Switzerland (+500); Draw (+250)

Argentina Needs to Be Much Better Than Previous Two Rounds

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Argentina needs to have a much better performance than it did in the last two rounds to keep its chances of repeating as World Cup champion alive.

Argentina survived a back-and-forth extra-time battle with Cape Verde and then needed to rally from a 2-0 deficit to beat Egypt.

The Albiceleste didn't look like themselves for most of the Egypt game until Lionel Messi found another level and helped drive them into the final eight.

A sluggish start, or multiple concessions, will affect Argentina more against a European side with a ton of defensive structure in Switzerland.

Argentina got away with lackluster showings and found a way to win on pure talent in the last two rounds.

The whole squad needs to be sharper in order to break down the Swiss, take the first lead and switch the pressure over to the opponent.

Switzerland Must Rely On its Defense to Advance

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Switzerland put together two impressive defensive performances to open the knockout round.

The Swiss blanked Algeria and then held Colombia scoreless over 120 minutes.

The Swiss back line will face an even tougher challenge on Saturday against Messi and Co.

Switzerland shouldn't be counted out in the matchup just because it doesn't have a Messi.

Egypt and Cape Verde found ways to frustrate Argentina and the South American side was wasteful in the final third for long stretches of those games.

Switzerland can make life even more frustrating for Messi and Co. in its upset bid.

Argentina will have a majority of the ball and create the bulk of the chances, so the longer the match stays 0-0, the more frustrated Argentina will get.

Switzerland just needs to convert once chance, either in regulation or extra time, to advance if its defense holds up as well as it did in the last two rounds.