Tonight, the 48-team 2026 World Cup format plays out its final notes of the round of 16. Two matches — Argentina vs Egypt (19:00 Kyiv time) and Switzerland vs Colombia (23:00) — will complete the quarter-final bracket. After them, all eight spots in the last eight will be filled, and the tournament will shift into a rhythm of matches every two to three days all the way to the final on July 19.
How the 48-team format works at the 2026 World Cup
A quick reminder of the tournament's structure for those following the bracket: 48 teams were split into 12 groups of four. The top two from each group advanced, plus the eight best third-placed sides — making 32 teams in the round of 16. From there, it's a classic knockout format. This architecture is what produced the matchups we see tonight.
12 groups of 4: who made the knockout stage and what we already know
With six round-of-16 matches already played, the picture is fairly clear. Morocco thrashed Canada 3–0, France edged Paraguay 1–0, Norway knocked out Brazil 2–1, England beat Mexico 3–2. In the Iberian derby, Spain snatched victory over Portugal 1–0 — Merino's goal in the 90+1st minute. Belgium demolished the USA 4–1. The confirmed quarter-final ties are: France vs Morocco (July 9, 23:00) and Spain vs Belgium (July 10, 22:00). The winners of tonight's matches will play on July 11–12.
Argentina vs Egypt: tournament context
Argentina have won all four of their matches at this tournament, though in the round of 32 against Cape Verde they needed extra time — winning 3–2. Egypt in that same round beat Australia only on penalties after a 1–1 draw. It was Egypt's first-ever exit from the group stage at a World Cup, and now their first-ever round of 16 appearance. Messi enters the match with seven goals in the tournament — he has scored in eight consecutive World Cup matches. Egypt have kept no clean sheets at this tournament, and their expected goals against (xGA) is among the worst of the remaining sides.
Switzerland vs Colombia: the surprise finale of the round
Both teams have grown stronger as the tournament has progressed and are considered the most unpredictable pair of this round. Switzerland have a fitness concern: 20-year-old Johan Manzambi — who has scored three goals in the tournament — left training early on the eve of the match due to injury. Coach Murat Yakin confirmed that the player's availability remains uncertain until the last moment. Colombia, for their part, have improved steadily from round to round and are a team nobody wants to face in the quarter-finals.
Scenarios
- Argentina beat Egypt in regular time — the most likely scenario given their form and squad quality. The Albiceleste advance to the quarter-finals and maintain their status as the main title contenders. The key question is whether Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez step up, as over-reliance on Messi could become a vulnerability in knockout matches.
- Egypt force extra time or penalties — a realistic scenario if Argentina again fail to hit top gear from the opening minutes. Egypt have already shown they can sit deep and wait for their moment. Salah as the sole counter-attacking threat is capable of causing problems even for the best defences.
- Switzerland without Manzambi lose to Colombia — if the young striker doesn't take the field, the Swiss attacking potential drops significantly. Colombia would then become the dark horse of the quarter-finals and could potentially face Argentina.
The best eight third-placed teams rule
Although the group stage is over, it's worth recalling the mechanism that shaped this knockout bracket: from 12 groups, not only the top two sides advanced, but also the eight best third-placed teams — ranked by points, goal difference, and goals scored. It was this rule that gave teams like Egypt and Colombia their tickets to the knockout stage and kept the group phase tense until the final matchday in every group. Tonight's matches are a direct consequence of that structure.
What to watch tonight: in Argentina vs Egypt, keep an eye on whether Scaloni can balance Messi's workload and involve the other forwards. In Switzerland vs Colombia, the opening spell will be crucial: if the Swiss concede first without Manzambi, a comeback will be extremely difficult. After tonight's matches, the quarter-final bracket will be fully set — and only then will it become clear whether there is a genuine alternative to Argentina and France in this tournament.
See also: Argentina survived Cape Verde's miracle, Egypt advanced on penalties: the night of…
Photo: Champion.com.ua · Editorial (source)
