Lionel Messi has scored in every match so far. After two tense knockout stage games, how long can we keep expecting strong performances from the 39-year-old Messi? In the 2026 World Cup, Argentina will face Switzerland in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Although Lionel Scaloni’s team easily passed the group stage, they faced tough challenges against Cape Verde and Egypt.

In the round of 32, Argentina had to wait for extra time to defeat Cape Verde, who were making their World Cup debut, by 3–2. Similarly, against Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, they had to wait until the end of the match to secure a win with the same scoreline. As defending champions, Messi’s outstanding performances and the team’s remarkable unity have been the main factors in Argentina’s five consecutive victories.

Although Messi missed a penalty early on against Egypt, he scored a brilliant goal to overturn a two-goal deficit and lead Argentina to victory. At the end of the match in Atlanta, Messi appeared emotional. It showed that these players are eager to continue their World Cup journey. Afterwards, the Inter Miami forward said, “This was a moment of both happiness and relief.”

He added, “We want to stay in the tournament. We don’t want to see our challenge in the competition end. More than that, we don’t want to go home just yet.” After playing 120 minutes against Cape Verde, Messi admitted he was tired. However, he remained energetic and played the full match against Egypt. The upcoming quarterfinal will be held at the same stadium where he scored a hat-trick in his first match.

Messi has scored eight goals so far. He is level with Frenchman Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot award. He is now the player with the most goals in World Cup history, with 21. Aside from his individual play, Argentina’s strongest weapon is the strong camaraderie within the team. The team is currently on an 11-match unbeaten run in the World Cup. Since 1962, they are on a campaign to win the World Cup for the second consecutive time. Brazil was the last team to achieve such a feat. Coach Scaloni says, “We don’t know what the journey ahead will be, but what this team has shown is that, no matter how adverse the situation, they will never lose faith in themselves.”

Echoing this sentiment, midfielder Enzo Fernández said, “We are a team that never gives up, no matter how tough the situation.”

Nevertheless, the challenge Argentina will face against Switzerland will be different. The Swiss team will be equally strong. Switzerland is playing under the impressive leadership of captain Granit Xhaka. They also know that a single win would mean a historic first-ever entry into the semifinals. Murat Yakin’s team defeated Algeria 2–0 in the round of 32.

After that, they overcame Colombia’s challenge in a tiebreaker. In the group stage, attacking midfielder Yohan Manzambi was in excellent form. He has scored three goals. Due to injury, he missed the match against Colombia and is unlikely to play against Argentina as well. Captain Xhaka does not see this as a problem and believes his team has a good mix of youth and experience.

He says, “The team we have now is more than special. This team is also in the process of generational transition. Most importantly, we must be mentally strong for the match against Argentina. We are a small country, but we are capable of achieving results at this level of football. All our players are ready to deliver a proud performance for their country.”