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World Cup: Argentina 🇦🇷 vs Switzerland 🇨🇠will the game go to penalties? Our Prediction
Mambo, football fans. The World Cup quarterfinals are here and we have a mouthwatering clash between defending champions Argentina 🇦🇷 and a resilient Switzerland 🇨🇠side that just broke their penalty curse. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET at Kansas City Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, and the big question on everyone's mind is whether this match will go all the way to a penalty shootout.
How the Teams Arrived at This Moment
Argentina secured their place after beating Egypt while Switzerland advanced by defeating Colombia in the penalties. But the journeys to this quarterfinal have been wildly different. After trailing 0-2 to Egypt, Argentina staged a comeback to secure a 3-2 victory in dramatic fashion. Lionel Messi scored his eighth goal of this World Cup, the most of any player in the tournament.
Switzerland's path? Pure grit. Switzerland beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw in their Round of 16 clash. It is the first time Switzerland have won multiple knockout games in the same World Cup, and their first time in the last eight since they hosted the tournament 72 years ago. Wazi, that's history being made.
The Penalty Shootout Records Tell a Story
If this match does go to penalties, the numbers heavily favour one side. Argentina still holds the record for the most World Cup penalty shootouts of any nation, with seven appearances and six wins, a tally unchanged so far in the 2026 tournament. Their only defeat? Argentina's only shoot-out defeat to date came in 2006, in a quarter-final tie against Germany.
Switzerland's record is the complete opposite. Japan, Mexico and Romania have been involved in the most World Cup penalty shootouts without ever winning one (two each), while other nations to only participate in a single shootout in the competition and lose are Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ghana, Greece, Switzerland and Yugoslavia. Actually, that was before Tuesday. Switzerland had won only one of their past six penalty shootouts in all competitions (against France at Euro 2020), with their triumph over Colombia securing passage to the quarterfinals of a World Cup for the first time since 1954.
Switzerland scored none of three against Ukraine in 2006, one of only two teams ever blanked in a World Cup shootout. But Switzerland manager Murat Yakin expressed his delight at breaking the country's penalty curse after beating Colombia in a shootout Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Fresh confidence, maybe?
Head to Head History
These teams have World Cup history. The two nations last crossed paths on the World Cup stage at Brazil 2014, where a resilient Argentine side broke Swiss hearts with a dramatic 1-0 victory deep in extra time. Cheki that, the 2014 match went to extra time but was settled before penalties. In the history of World Cups, Argentina National Team faced Switzerland in 2 opportunities, with 2 wins, 0 draws and 0 lossess.
Recent Form and Context
Argentina enters this matchup as the FIFA-ranked number one team, burdened with the responsibility of defending their World Cup title from Qatar 2022. However, their struggles in recent rounds, extra time against Cape Verde and a comeback against Egypt, highlight that they are not invincible. The defending champions have been tested, and they've passed every test, but the margins are getting tighter.
Switzerland arrives with newfound confidence, having overcome their historical knockout stage barriers and showcasing depth and adaptability throughout the tournament. They're missing World Cup breakout star Johan Manzambi because of an injury suffered in training Monday. The 20-year-old midfielder scored three goals and added two assists in Switzerland's first four World Cup matches, but they found a way past Colombia anyway.
Will This Match Go to Penalties? Our Prediction
Here's the thing. Both teams have shown they can dig deep. If the score of a match is level at the end of 90 minutes of playing time, 30 minutes of extra time will be played. If the scores are still tied, the match will be decided by a penalty shootout.
Argentina has the firepower to win in regular time, with Messi leading the charge as the tournament's top scorer. But Switzerland have proven to be incredibly difficult to break down. Their Colombia match went 120 minutes without a goal. They're disciplined, organized, and now carrying momentum from breaking that penalty curse.
The 2014 meeting needed extra time. Switzerland's recent knockout matches have gone the distance. Argentina have needed extra time twice already in this tournament. The pattern is clear: when these types of teams meet in knockout football, matches go long.
That said, Argentina's class and attacking quality make them favourites to find a breakthrough in 120 minutes. Switzerland will make it difficult, but predicting on 90 or 120 minutes of deadlock requires both defences to be perfect. With Messi on the pitch in this form? That's a tall order.
Our prediction: NO, this match will not go to penalties. We expect Argentina to find a way through in regular time or extra time, likely through a moment of individual brilliance or a late goal when Swiss legs tire. But don't be shocked if this one goes all the way, because knockout football in Kansas City is about to deliver drama either way.
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