UNITED STATES – JULY 04: (EDITOR’S NOTE: This image, created on July 4, is a digital cutout composite of image numbers 2281268567, 2281268717, 2281250843 and 2281250699.) In this photo illustration, (L-R) Emiliano Martinez and Lionel Messi of Argentina and Mohamed Salah and Mohamed El Shenawy of Egypt ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round 16 match between Argentina and Egypt on July 04, 2026. (Photo by FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)FIFA / Contributor

2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 wraps up Tuesday with Messi and Salah

It's another World Cup double-header with Argentina and Egypt opening up the action.

by · 5 NBCDFW

The 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to a close in less than two weeks. Tuesday is the end of the Round of 16. Argentina plays Egypt in Atlanta at 11 a.m. CST. Colombia plays Switzerland at 3 p.m. in Vancouver. The winners are headed to a Saturday night quarterfinal in Kansas City against each other. All four teams playing today have not lost in the 2026 tournament.

Argentina and Egypt are the most decorated nations in modern South American and African football, respectively. Brazil's five World Cups are hard to beat, but most of their success happened before Lionel Messi arrived as one of the greats of global football.

Messi is still tied for the lead in the Golden Boot race with seven. Argentina has reached the Round of 16 in every tournament since 2002.

Egypt had to battle to make it out of Group G, and their penalty-kick win over Australia at Dallas Stadium last week was even tougher. It was Egypt's first knockout round win ever.

Egypt's captain, Mohamed Salah, has had quite the tournament of his own. Salah scored a penalty in that win over Australia. He also has 2 World Cup assists and a goal against New Zealand in the group stage. He was also a part of a meeting with Dallas police where they apologized for an incident at Egypt's hotel in Dallas.

The two nations have only met twice before. Argentina won a 2008 friendly 2-0; the prior contest was a 6-0 Argentina win at the 1928 Olympics, the last tournament before the World Cup started.

Colombia has only conceded one goal in the tournament, second to only Spain who has yet to concede at all in five games.

Switzerland won Group B to send Canada to the United States for its knockout-round games. Switzerland has not reached a quarterfinal since 1954.

Colombia and Switzerland met at the 1994 World Cup at Stanford Stadium near Palo Alto, CA. Colombia won the game but finished bottom of the group, while Switzerland progressed to the knockouts. Team USA was also in that group and advanced.

The World Cup only has one more day with two games: Saturday, July 11. Norway and England play at 4 p.m. CST in Miami, ahead of the Kansas City quarterfinal that will feature two of the four teams above.