Argentina face Switzerland with Scaloni hitting back at the noise

Argentina face Switzerland Saturday in the quarter-final

Your team go again. Argentina vs Switzerland in the World Cup 2026 quarter-final, Saturday in Atlanta (1) (2) (3). Scaloni has kept his lineup tight ahead of kickoff. The Swiss coach, Murat Yakin, had plenty to say: "Argentina have a hard style of play, they always show their cunning in every duel. They play with a lot of passion, and if you're not firm, it's hard to beat them" (1). He added the game should be settled on the pitch, not with words afterwards (1).

Scaloni: 'There are a lot of people who don't want us to win'

Ahead of the quarter-final, Scaloni pushed back hard against suggestions Argentina get favourable refereeing. "There are a lot of people who don't want us to win," he said, addressing claims of favouritism towards Argentina (1) (5). No ambiguity, the champions feel the weight of every whistle.

Scaloni: Messi takes penalties as long as he wants

Scaloni ended any debate on the spot. "If Leo wants to take the penalties, he will take them," the coach said (5). Messi remains Argentina's primary penalty taker, no conditions attached.

Switzerland lose Manzambi to a knee injury

A blow for the Swiss. Manzambi is out of the quarter-final with a knee injury, a major absence for Yakin's side (6). One fewer threat for your team to worry about in Atlanta.

Messi does not follow Scaloni or 10 teammates on Instagram

A curiosity doing the rounds: Messi does not follow Scaloni on Instagram, nor ten of his Argentina teammates, including Emiliano Martínez, De Paul, Mac Allister, Julián Álvarez, and Lautaro Martínez (4). He does follow Gerónimo Rulli and a handful of others. The internet noticed.

Fan reactions

Before your quarter-final, fans on r/soccer were sidetracked by a different stat: the Spain–France semi-final is now the highest-rated international match in history by combined Elo ratings (4353), edging out the 1954 Hungary–West Germany final. The top comment on the thread was a quiet acknowledgment that the first semi-final might be a classic.