The round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially concluded. The final eight teams on the planet have been formed, including Argentina and Switzerland, which secured victories against Egypt and Colombia respectively in decisive battles.

Argentina's miracle: comeback from 0:2

The final day of the round began with an incredibly tense match between the defending world champions — the Argentina national team — and the Egypt team. The match could have ended in complete failure for the Argentines: during the game, they were losing with a score of 0:2. However, the team managed to turn the tide, staging a powerful comeback and snatching victory with a score of 3:2.

Switzerland vs Colombia: victory in a penalty shootout

The last spot in the quarterfinals was contested by Switzerland and Colombia. Both teams approached the match on equal footing: they won their groups with identical statistics (two wins and one draw), and in the round of 32, they advanced past their opponents without conceding a single goal. Switzerland crushed Algeria with a score of 2:0, while Colombia narrowly beat Ghana — 1:0.

The head-to-head encounter turned out to be extremely cautious. In the first half, goalkeepers Gregor Kobel and Camilo Vargas had practically nothing to do. After the break, the Swiss created a dangerous moment: Sow and Rieder missed the chance to score, sending the ball past the post. The match went into overtime.

Only in extra time did the game open up. Colombian Luquimi hit the crossbar, and Swiss player Amdouni failed to beat the goalkeeper in close combat. Regular and extra time ended with a score of 0:0, and the fate of the ticket was decided by a penalty shootout.

Historic breakthrough for Switzerland

In the post-match penalty shootout, the Swiss missed only once. The Colombians, however, made two mistakes: Davinson Sanchez hit the crossbar, and the shot by Cucho Hernandez was confidently saved by Gregor Kobel. Switzerland's victory with a score of 4:3 was historic: the team reached the quarterfinals for the first time in 72 years — the last time this happened was at the home World Cup in 1954. Before this, the Swiss had been eliminated exactly at the round of 16 stage five times, including in 2006 when they lost to the Ukraine national team.

Final eight of the WC-2026

Thus, the following national teams advanced to the quarterfinals:

  • Argentina
  • France
  • Norway
  • England
  • Belgium
  • Spain
  • Morocco
  • Switzerland

The quarterfinal matches will begin on Thursday. Earlier, it was reported that Iran sarcastically mocked the failure of the US national team at this World Cup.