Tonight on the WC 2026 match schedule by Kyiv time — two Round of 16 fixtures, and the headline clash brings together two of the tournament's biggest stars: Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah take the pitch at 19:00 Kyiv time. Argentina are defending their title, Egypt are writing their own history — and this duel of number 10s could be the most iconic image of the entire World Cup.
Today's schedule
- 19:00 Kyiv time. Argentina vs Egypt (Round of 16, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
- 23:00 Kyiv time. Switzerland vs Colombia (Round of 16, BC Place, Vancouver)
Argentina vs Egypt. 19:00 Kyiv time. Atlanta
This is the first ever official meeting between the two sides at a World Cup. Argentina reached the Round of 16 via a dramatic win over Cape Verde — 3:2 in extra time, with the winner coming as an own goal in the 111th minute. Egypt got past Australia after a 1:1 draw in normal and extra time, then won on penalties 4:2. Both journeys were defined by nerves and exhaustion.
The main storyline is the duel between the two best players of the tournament. Messi leads the scoring charts with 7 goals and has already become the first player in history to score in eight consecutive World Cup matches. Salah, despite hamstring concerns after 120 minutes against Australia, remains Egypt's primary weapon. Alongside him — Omar Marmoush and Emam Ashour on the flanks, capable of exploiting the space behind Argentina's defenders just as Cape Verde did. On the injury front: Nico González (ankle) and Facundo Medina are doubts for Argentina, with Tagliafico expected to replace the latter. Egypt will be without Fatouh and El-Fatouh through injury. Expected Argentina lineup: E. Martínez; Molina, Romero, L. Martínez, Tagliafico; De Paul, Mac Allister, Fernández, Almada; Messi, Lautaro. The winner will face the victor of Switzerland vs Colombia in the quarterfinals — in Kansas City on July 12.
Switzerland vs Colombia. 23:00 Kyiv time. Vancouver
The second match of the day kicks off at 23:00 Kyiv time at BC Place in Vancouver. Both sides came through the group stage and the Round of 32 and are now battling for a quarterfinal spot in Kansas City. The winner will face whoever advances from Atlanta. This is a clash between two tactically disciplined teams: Switzerland are traditionally solid defensively, while Colombia are dangerous on the counter-attack. Lineups had not been officially announced at the time of publication — stay tuned for updates.
What's next: WC 2026 quarterfinals
After today's matches, the Round of 16 will be complete. The WC 2026 quarterfinal schedule by Kyiv time gets underway on Thursday, July 9: France vs Morocco at 23:00 Kyiv time in Boston. Then — Spain vs Belgium (July 10, 22:00 Kyiv time, Los Angeles) and Norway vs England (July 11, 00:00 Kyiv time, Miami). The fourth quarterfinal — the winner of tonight's matches against the winner of Switzerland/Colombia — takes place on July 12 at 03:00 Kyiv time in Kansas City.
Recaps of both matches will be in the morning Night Mundial digest. Stay with us.
Photo: Yahoo Sports Staff · Editorial (source)
