Lionel Messi has scored in every World Cup match so far, but after two gruelling knockout ties, will age finally catch up with the 39-year-old in the quarter-final against Switzerland?
Saturday’s quarter-final at Arrowhead Stadium will take Messi back to the scene of his hat-trick in Argentina’s first match of the 2026 tournament. He has continued his scoring run, taking his tally to eight — level with Golden Boot rival Kylian Mbappe.
Lionel Scaloni’s team sailed through the group stage, but have been pushed to the limit by Cape Verde and Egypt. They needed extra time to squeeze past the World Cup newcomers in the last 32 before winning 3-2 and then came back from the dead against Mohamed Salah’s team. The defending champs have won all five games, with Messi’s brilliance and their unshakeable team spirit central to their progress.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the Swiss, led by their captain Granit Xhaka, have been practising penalties for two hours daily as they remain one win away from reaching their first ever World Cup semis. They beat Algeria 2-0 in the round of 32 before beating a strong Colombia team on penalties.
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