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The round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup brought some epic moments and exciting soccer. We started to see some upsets and close calls, as we now head into the quarterfinals at the tournament. So, with only eight teams remaining, who are the best nations still playing at the tournament? The FOX Sports World Cup NOW crew of Melissa Ortiz, Maurice Edu, Brad Guzan, and Sacha Kljestan took a look at the field to reveal their power rankings of the eight remaining teams left in the quarterfinals. “I think Switzerland, that just put us to sleep, can be No. 8,” Kljestan said. Edu agreed with the evaluation, noting that Belgium should move up after Switzerland needed penalty kicks to beat Colombia to advance. As a result, Belgium got to move up a spot. Still, Switzerland is now 3-2-0 at this tournament. Belgium, which was originally ranked eighth, moved up one spot following a 4-1 rout over co-hosts United States in the round of 16. Belgium has displayed the ability to score in bunches, but it looked vulnerable early against Senegal in the round of 32, having to mount a comeback for the ages to advance. That also came after Belgium went 1-2-0 in the group stage, but it has now won three straight matches. Norway occupied the No. 6 position with unanimous consent from the World Cup NOW crew, with Edu even leading a quick Viking row with his crewmates. Norway advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in its federation’s history after Erling Haaland scored twice in its round of 16 win over Brazil on Sunday. Norway has also won all four games Haaland has played in this tournament as he battles for the Golden Boot. For the No. 5 spot, the crew agreed on Morocco to finalize the bottom half of the power ranking. Ortiz added that Morocco should not be taken lightly, something the rest of the crew agreed with. Morocco advanced to the quarterfinals after its 3-0 win over Canada on Saturday. But its most impressive match might have been against the Netherlands in the round of 32. After battling to a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands, Morocco advanced in penalty kicks as it’ll now take on France in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The debate shifted as the panel examined the top four teams, starting with a close comparison between England at No. 4 and the third-ranked team on this list. “Our decision between number three and number four was tough, because I think England has also shown championship quality, and so I think there’s a small separation between the one and two teams and the three and four teams,” Kljestan said. Edu pointed to England’s recent performance with its 3-2 win over Mexico to show how close the margin was between the two sides. “The biggest to me, between Argentina and England, because I was at that game in Mexico City, England were impressive to be able to do what hadn’t been done since 2013 in a competitive match at the Azteca, which is to win, there was impressive,” Edu said. “Their stars showed up, Jude Bellingham gets a brace, Harry Kane gets a goal, and assists in that one as well.” Despite England’s heroic performance, the crew gave Argentina the edge at No. 3 due to its tournament history and tournament management. “What separates Argentina? Obviously, it’s Messi, but it’s that they’ve done it already,” Edu said. “They come in here as a defending champion, so they know that winning pedigree, they know what it takes, and when you’re talking about their last couple games against Cape Verde, and then today against Egypt, yeah, they were nerve-wrenching. “If you’re a Messi fan, if you’re an Argentine fan, you’re sitting there sweating, you’re nervous, but there’s a certain character that this group possesses, the manager as well, because they’ve crossed that line already at the last World Cup.” Argentina has won all five matches it’s played at this World Cup. However, its last two victories were dramatic. It needed extr a time to take down Cape Verde in the round of 32 before having to comeback from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Egypt in the round of 16 on Tuesday. “You guys, they’ve, they’ve made the fans suffer, they’ve made football fans suffer, but they’ve always come through,” Ortiz said. Guzan added that it has “been the Messi show,” and indicated that the rest of the roster must contribute more as the tournament progresses. “They’re going to need some help from others,” Guzan said. “There’s other guys on that team, they’re going to have to step up.” Spain secured the No. 2 spot in the power rankings, largely due to its defensive efficiency throughout the competition. “I think Spain has been incredible,” Edu said. “There’s still more, there’s still more to be seen from this team, but they’ve been incredibly efficient. The fact that they’re in a quarterfinal without having conceded a goal, that’s where [I say] this is impressive.” As Spain hasn’t conceded a goal yet in this tournament, it’s outscored its opponents 9-0 in this tournament. France took the No. 1 spot on the board, maintaining its status as tournament favorites. “And they’ve lived up to the expectations that everybody’s put on them,” Kljestan said. “They were the odds-on favorite. They were the team that all of us, I believe, at this little round table has picked to win the tournament, and they’ve been the best attacking team. So, they’re No. 1 — best attacking team, number two, best defending team in this tournament.” Just like Argentina, France has won all five matches it has played in this tournament as well. It had to grind out a 1-0 win over Paraguay in the round of 16, but France has outscored its opponents 14-2 in this tournament. With the rankings set, the analysts discussed whether any of the lower-ranked teams could challenge the top four for the title. Kljestan expressed skepticism about the lower tier’s chances of sustaining success through the remaining rounds. “I personally don’t think that any of the teams outside the top four can win this World Cup,” Kljestan said. “You have to win three more games from this point on, and I don’t see any of those teams knocking off any of the top four teams, let alone knocking them off once and then having to do two more.” Guzan agreed, emphasizing the difficulty of putting together multiple consecutive wins against elite opponents. “That’s what I was just gonna say, I think there’s potential for doing it once, doing it two and three times,” Guzan said. “I think it becomes really, really challenging when you’re going up against these top four teams in the quality that they possess.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup brought some epic moments and exciting soccer. We started to see some upsets and close calls, as we now head into the quarterfinals at the tournament. So, with only eight teams remaining, who are the best nations still playing at the tournament? The FOX Sports World Cup NOW crew of Melissa Ortiz, Maurice Edu, Brad Guzan, and Sacha Kljestan took a look at the field to reveal their power rankings of the eight remaining teams left in the quarterfinals. “I think Switzerland, that just put us to sleep, can be No. 8,” Kljestan said. Edu agreed with the evaluation, noting that Belgium should move up after Switzerland needed penalty kicks to beat Colombia to advance. As a result, Belgium got to move up a spot. Still, Switzerland is now 3-2-0 at this tournament. Belgium, which was originally ranked eighth, moved up one spot following a 4-1 rout over co-hosts United States in the round of 16. Belgium has displayed the ability to score in bunches, but it looked vulnerable early against Senegal in the round of 32, having to mount a comeback for the ages to advance. That also came after Belgium went 1-2-0 in the group stage, but it has now won three straight matches. Norway occupied the No. 6 position with unanimous consent from the World Cup NOW crew, with Edu even leading a quick Viking row with his crewmates. Norway advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in its federation’s history after Erling Haaland scored twice in its round of 16 win over Brazil on Sunday. Norway has also won all four games Haaland has played in this tournament as he battles for the Golden Boot. For the No. 5 spot, the crew agreed on Morocco to finalize the bottom half of the power ranking. Ortiz added that Morocco should not be taken lightly, something the rest of the crew agreed with. Morocco advanced to the quarterfinals after its 3-0 win over Canada on Saturday. But its most impressive match might have been against the Netherlands in the round of 32. After battling to a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands, Morocco advanced in penalty kicks as it’ll now take on France in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The debate shifted as the panel examined the top four teams, starting with a close comparison between England at No. 4 and the third-ranked team on this list. “Our decision between number three and number four was tough, because I think England has also shown championship quality, and so I think there’s a small separation between the one and two teams and the three and four teams,” Kljestan said. Edu pointed to England’s recent performance with its 3-2 win over Mexico to show how close the margin was between the two sides. “The biggest to me, between Argentina and England, because I was at that game in Mexico City, England were impressive to be able to do what hadn’t been done since 2013 in a competitive match at the Azteca, which is to win, there was impressive,” Edu said. “Their stars showed up, Jude Bellingham gets a brace, Harry Kane gets a goal, and assists in that one as well.” Despite England’s heroic performance, the crew gave Argentina the edge at No. 3 due to its tournament history and tournament management. “What separates Argentina? Obviously, it’s Messi, but it’s that they’ve done it already,” Edu said. “They come in here as a defending champion, so they know that winning pedigree, they know what it takes, and when you’re talking about their last couple games against Cape Verde, and then today against Egypt, yeah, they were nerve-wrenching. “If you’re a Messi fan, if you’re an Argentine fan, you’re sitting there sweating, you’re nervous, but there’s a certain character that this group possesses, the manager as well, because they’ve crossed that line already at the last World Cup.” Argentina has won all five matches it’s played at this World Cup. However, its last two victories were dramatic. It needed extr a time to take down Cape Verde in the round of 32 before having to comeback from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Egypt in the round of 16 on Tuesday. “You guys, they’ve, they’ve made the fans suffer, they’ve made football fans suffer, but they’ve always come through,” Ortiz said. Guzan added that it has “been the Messi show,” and indicated that the rest of the roster must contribute more as the tournament progresses. “They’re going to need some help from others,” Guzan said. “There’s other guys on that team, they’re going to have to step up.” Spain secured the No. 2 spot in the power rankings, largely due to its defensive efficiency throughout the competition. “I think Spain has been incredible,” Edu said. “There’s still more, there’s still more to be seen from this team, but they’ve been incredibly efficient. The fact that they’re in a quarterfinal without having conceded a goal, that’s where [I say] this is impressive.” As Spain hasn’t conceded a goal yet in this tournament, it’s outscored its opponents 9-0 in this tournament. France took the No. 1 spot on the board, maintaining its status as tournament favorites. “And they’ve lived up to the expectations that everybody’s put on them,” Kljestan said. “They were the odds-on favorite. They were the team that all of us, I believe, at this little round table has picked to win the tournament, and they’ve been the best attacking team. So, they’re No. 1 — best attacking team, number two, best defending team in this tournament.” Just like Argentina, France has won all five matches it has played in this tournament as well. It had to grind out a 1-0 win over Paraguay in the round of 16, but France has outscored its opponents 14-2 in this tournament. With the rankings set, the analysts discussed whether any of the lower-ranked teams could challenge the top four for the title. Kljestan expressed skepticism about the lower tier’s chances of sustaining success through the remaining rounds. “I personally don’t think that any of the teams outside the top four can win this World Cup,” Kljestan said. “You have to win three more games from this point on, and I don’t see any of those teams knocking off any of the top four teams, let alone knocking them off once and then having to do two more.” Guzan agreed, emphasizing the difficulty of putting together multiple consecutive wins against elite opponents. “That’s what I was just gonna say, I think there’s potential for doing it once, doing it two and three times,” Guzan said. “I think it becomes really, really challenging when you’re going up against these top four teams in the quality that they possess.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The final day of round of 16 matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup was nearly the day Lionel Messi stepped away from the tournament forever. That didn’t end up being the case, and he was a big part of the reason. Here is the best from Day 27 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup: BEST OF THE DAY Moment Of The Day From now on, every match of the FIFA World Cup could be Lionel Messi’s last at the tournament, and that reality is starting to set in for the 39-year-old superstar, who was visibly overcome with emotion when Argentina completed its 3-2 comeback over Argentina on Tuesday in the round of 16. He doesn’t want this journey to end, and he and his teammates are doing everything in their power to make sure that it doesn’t. Goal Of The Day Even after 21 goals, it doesn’t get old watching Lionel Messi score at the World Cup. This one was extra special, with Argentina chasing an equalizer to keep its repeat hopes alive another day. Next up: Switzerland. Assist Of The Day Some assists are impressive because of their distance traveled, or where they end on the pitch; Haissem Hassan’s assist is impressive because he, through a serires of dribble moves, made a goal scoring opportunity out of nothing. Save Of The Day Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Ahmed Shobeir would have loved to leave Atlanta Stadium with a win, and a first-ever quarterfinals appearance for his country. It didn’t happen. As a consolation prize, he leaves the tournament with the story of how he saved a penalty from the greatest player to ever play the sport, and at a crucial time in the match. Argentina vs. Egypt Switzerland vs. Colombia​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

After 120 scoreless minutes and a tense penalty shootout, Switzerland became the final team to advance to the quarterfinals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as it outlasted Colombia. BC Place Vancouver was a sea of yellow as it was firmly behind Colombia, and the large crowd watched both teams play fantastically defensively on Tuesday afternoon. Both Colombia and Switzerland came into this tournament with one knockout win in their respective histories. Colombia’s win came in 2014 against Uruguay, while Switzerland’s came over Germany in 1938. After wins in the round of 32, both teams had the chance to make this the undisputed best World Cup in their country’s history. In the end, that went to Switzerland, which has been on a steady rise over the past decade and will now get to face reigning champions Argentina in the quarterfinals. Here are my four takeaways from Tuesday’s match: 1. Extremely Tight Defense Both Colombia and Switzerland were playing well heading into this game, with each team winning its respective group (both teams were 2-1-0 in group play) followed by impressive victories in the round of 32. The heart of success for each team had been its defensive discipline and shape. Combined with the high amount of respect the teams had for each other, it made for a very cagey start with each team quick to revert into defensive shape whenever possession was lost. The game needed an individual moment of brilliance, but neither team seemed willing to take the risk of committing many players into the attack. Colombia’s Gustavo Puerta had the first real chance of the game in the 21st minute when he forced a big save from Gregor Kobel. The game began to open slightly after the first half hydration break. Colombia’s Camilo Vargas was forced to make a pair of saves from Swiss wingers Dan Ndoye and Fabian Rieder just after the half-hour mark. In the second half, Colombia began to push a little further up, and head coach Néstor Lorenzo made offensive substitutes in the 66th and 83rd minutes. Switzerland had slightly more space to operate but was unable to create in the first 90 minutes. As is the case with low-scoring games, it is not just about defense. There was also a failure for players to step up and make the big play that no one saw coming. Switzerland clearly missed Johan Manzambi, who suffered a knee injury in the team’s final training session. The 20-year-old versatile Freiburg attacker has been Switzerland’s best player over the past three games with three goals and two assists. The game finished 120 minutes with just three shots on goal for Colombia and two for Switzerland. 2. Not Many Mistakes This is hardly the first time that a World Cup match was very defensive, but what made this game very different is that there were just very few mistakes by either team. Teams completed passes inside their own half to avoid gifting the opponents golden chances. There were not many teams that gave dangerous set pieces; defensive clearances were effective in getting the ball from danger. Credit for this is due to the exceptional play of the central defenders for both teams. Switzerland’s Manuel Akanji and Nico Elvedi, along with Colombia’s Davinson Sánchez and Jhon Lucumí, were all excellent and handled everything that came their way. Lucumí nearly broke the deadlock in extra time when his header rattled the crossbar in the closest opportunity of the game. Meanwhile, the Swiss backline was able to neutralize Luis Díaz, who is one of the best wingers in the world. Oddly enough, the worst miss in the game came in the 115th minute when the game’s most experienced and dependable midfielder Swiss captain Granit Xhaka, flubbed a clearance and gifted Jaminton Campaz a golden chance, which was then shot over the bar. 3. Confident Swiss Penalty Takers When the game went to penalties, it was completely up for grabs, but Switzerland converted four of five attempts with confidence. The only Swiss player who missed was Manuel Akanji, who had a great game in central defense. This time, his Swiss teammates were able to bail him out after he missed a shootout attempt in a loss to England in the knockout stage at UEFA Euro 2024. Throughout extra time, it seemed as if Switzerland was the team that was more comfortable with the game going to a shootout. That was a bold strategy, and it paid off as Granit Xhaka, Zeki Amdouni, Cedric Itten and Rubén Vargas all looked strong with their attempts. 4. Best Swiss Team In History With its run to the quarterfinals, this is the best Swiss team in the program’s history, and this run has been a long time coming. Head coach Murat Yakin has been the architect of the team’s success, which has seen it as one of Europe’s most improved teams in the past two decades. Now in the quarterfinals of the World Cup, Yakin has Switzerland playing consistently well in major tournaments. Switzerland performed brilliantly in World Cup qualifying, as it didn’t lose a game. The Swiss also scored 14 goals and conceded just twice during qualifying. Yakin took over in 2021 and led the team to qualification for the 2022 World Cup. At the World Cup in Qatar, Switzerland advanced to the round of 16. At Euro 2024, Switzerland took it another step further in defeating reigning champions Italy in the round of 16 before losing to England in a shootout in the quarterfinals. Yankin has opted for experience in building his team, and against Colombia, no outfield player in the starting lineup had fewer than 31 caps. Despite a poor start to the tournament against Qatar, Yakin has his team playing well and as a manager, he has done a fantastic job taking his team to the next level.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Erling Haaland. Harry Kane. Kylian Mbappé. Lionel Messi. Lamine Yamal. The sheer amount of star power between the eight teams competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals is hard to comprehend, but easy to watch and enjoy. These teams aren’t here to have fun, though. The teams left standing — Argentina, Belgium, England, France, Morocco, Norway, Spain and Switzerland — have convinced themselves that they have a chance of lifting the World Cup trophy, and some for the first time in their country’s history. From here on out, it’s all business. Here are the key storylines for every team heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals: France vs. Morocco At 27 years old, Mbappé has already made 103 appearances for France and scored 63 goals. He’s the country’s all-time leading goalscorer. This is his third World Cup. The first two ended by winning the tournament and a runner-up finish. Another run to the final would put him among the best ever, and it would also likely keep him close to Messi in the race to be the leading goalscorer in the tournament’s history. If France wins the World Cup this year, Mbappé will be the one lifting the trophy. It would be a three-tournament run that very few players in history can match. Morocco made history in 2022 when it became the first African nation to reach a World Cup semifinal. Next for the Atlas Lions would be to make it to the final game. Morocco is through to the quarterfinals after beating the Netherlands in the round of 32 and then Canada in the round of 16. In both matchups, they have clearly been the superior team. Next for Morocco is a rematch of that semifinal against France. Striker Ismael Saibari left the win over Canada with an injury, but the team is hopeful he will be available to face France. Morocco will be the underdog against Les Bleus, but it has as good a chance than any team in the tournament to pull off an upset. Midfielder Azzedine Ounahi scored twice against Canada, while playmaker Brahim Diaz and right back Achraf Hakimi combined for the three assists. Morocco has the quality to win. Spain vs. Belgium Spain is known for its impressive possession-first game, featuring one of the best midfields in the world. So far, though, it’s the defense that has been the star of the tournament. La Roja has played five games at this World Cup, and it is yet to concede a goal. The back line of left back Marc Cucurella, center backs Aymeric Laporte and Pau Cubarsí, right back Pedro Porro and goalkeeper Unai Simon have played all 180 minutes of the knockout stage together, and the unit might be impenetrable. Simon has gone 609 minutes without conceding a goal at the World Cup, which is the longest streak ever by a goalkeeper. Next up is Belgium, which has scored nine goals in its last two games against New Zealand and the United States. Thibaut Courtois is still one of the best goalkeepers in the world at 34 years old; Romelu Lukaku is showing he can still score goals at 33; Kevin De Bruyne can still pick a pass at 35; while even winger Leandro Trossard is still one of the best playmakers at the tournament at 31. Lukaku is coming off the bench and still making an impact, while De Bruyne didn’t feature against the USA. This is a new-look Belgium team, but it’s still synonymous with its veteran stars. Facing Spain will be Belgium’s toughest test yet. After an impressive comeback against Senegal and dominant display against the USA, the Red Devils will be confident. To win, though, it will need its veterans to lead the way, potentially with Lukaku having to make a key contribution off the bench. Norway vs. England Man, Viking, Monster — call him what you want, as long as you call him the most dominant striker on this planet, and possibly others. The only player that comes close? The player that will be starting opposite of him in the quarterfinal, Harry Kane. But Kane can’t stop Haaland; he can only hope to cancel out his goals with his own. So who can? Marc Guéhi, his teammate at Manchester City? Ezri Konsa, who held Haaland scoreless in their lone Premier League meeting last season? Or will it be Jordan Pickford, who Haaland scored three goals against last season? The answer will be some combination of the three, because though many have tried, there is no one person that can stop Haaland. England has been here before: a talented team with a good head of steam heading into a quarterfinals matchup it should win. And yet, the last time it made the final was in 1996, the only time it won the tournament, and the last time it won a title in any major tournament. Will this year be any different? Thomas Tuchel is certainly hoping so. The England coach made some controversial decisions with his roster selection, and so far, it hasn’t come back to haunt him. But a loss to Norway — a team ranked 14 spots below it in the FIFA rankings — would change all of that. Knockout Tournament Tuchel: the floor is yours. Argentina vs. Switzerland If the FIFA World Cup was a video game, Lionel Messi would have beaten it — platinumed it. He’s the tournament’s all-time leadiner in goals and assists, he’s won the Golden Ball award as the tournament’s best player twice, and, in 2022, he finally lifted the trophy after besting Kylian Mbappé and France in arguably the greatest final of all time. Now? Messi is after his second — and likely last — World Cup title. If he pulls it off, Messi will become the first player in World Cup history to win two World Cups while wearing the captain’s armband, and Argentina will become first back-to-back men’s World Cup champions since Brazil 64 years ago. It’s more than just bragging rights on the line; it’s World Cup immortality. Despite not being a world soccer power in the modern era, Switzerland has reached the quarterfinals three times: 1934, 1938 and 1954. However, it has never gotten over the hump, failing to advance in all three of its appearances. Yes, an argument can be made that Switzerland advancing to the quarterfinals over a World Cup dark horse in Colombia is an accomplishment in itself, but Switzerland won’t be thinking that way — certainly not after Argentina was nearly upset itself in the round of 16. Write Switzerland off at your own risk.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Inevitable is such a special word. It is the definition of the unavoidable, the inescapable, something where, no matter what you try and do, you simply cannot prevent the outcome. It is the wall of fate crushing against you, without hope or desire. But the word inevitable is also about the eternal because it is the ultimate act of strength that lives forever in the psyche of the recipient, knowing that what’s about to happen, will indeed occur and not only can you not stop it, you will never forget it. That’s Lionel Messi. Eternal. Inevitable. The Argentina captain led his team to a remarkable, almost unbelievable comeback as the defending champion was 2-0 down against a heroic Egypt and achieved the ultimate remontada. It was the performance of a man who, at 39 years old, does not know how to end a chapter. But I will also say that, Messi aside, this was also about his teammates and how their intoxicating efforts to unite and overcome adversity shined through. Messi was their hero, but this victory took an army to support him. More on that in a moment. On Tuesday in Atlanta, Egypt and Mohamed Salah — a legend in his land and beyond — fought like warriors and had this been a fairer story, perhaps we would have seen them as victors. Hossam Hassan’s side deserved something out of this grueling battle. And there is an argument to be made about its disallowed goal and how it should have stood based on the run of play. But regardless, Egypt did score again and created a 2-0 lead, thanks to some mesmerizing counter-attacking work from the aforementioned Salah and Haissem Hassan, who quite literally gave it his all. Then there’s the talking point of the actual performance. Argentina, once again — just like Cape Verde poetically highlighted and exploited — was not good. It lacked so much fluidity, and Messi was also struggling against a resilient defensive line and missed a penalty attempt, making him the first player in World Cup history to miss two penalties in a single tournament (outside of shootouts). Egypt, leading 2-0, was staring at only 10 minutes remaining until it could reach its greatest ever victory and a historic spot in the quarterfinal stage. It could almost open the doors to the promised land. It was there for the taking, and had it ended in such a manner, no one would have criticized the win. We would have accepted the outcome, even Argentinians. In fact, it was already accepted as towards the latter stages of the match, before Argentina scored the first goal, you could practically hear a pin drop from the Argentina faithful. They had almost understood the outcome. They had welcomed the ending. Argentina was about to lose its right to defend its World Cup. But that’s not how Messi operates. He doesn’t accept a script he doesn’t author, and once again, as consistent as the sunrise or the sounds of an ocean, the inevitable happened. He rose. After dazzling inside the box over and over again in the second half, albeit with no outcome, the first uppercut finally came through in the 79th minute, as his assist for Cristian “Cuti” Romero’s goal became the first sign of life. The crowd stood again, screaming and chanting, knowing life had returned. The inevitable was slowly creeping behind the door. Four minutes later, the ball pinged around inside the box, and Gonzalo Montiel rescued it to find Leo, who smashed it in after bouncing off the crossbar. This is when the stadium actually vibrated and shook with a pulsating heart as Argentina was level. The narrative of the story is also about the heroes we don’t remember, and that includes Leandro Paredes, who made a crucial stop from an Egyptian counter. Moments later, Lautaro Martínez found Enzo Fernández for the winner, and just like that, Argentina had climbed the mountain and planted its flag. The whistle blew. An emotional Messi began to cry. His teammates rallied around each other, consoling his emotions and celebrating his accomplishments. Messi’s tears were not just about the physical and mental extremities that were necessary in order to create this incredulous evening of pure magic. The tears also represented the fact that he was still alive, both at this World Cup and in the arms of his beloved Argentina. The emotion represented the exhaustion as we all witnessed, once again, an unforgettable match. A tale for the ages. A story that will continue as Lionel Scaloni’s side continues to defend its title. By the end, the sentiment was so beautifully vivid for every Argentinian and most notably, Lionel Messi. By the end, they tossed him in the air to celebrate a victory that will live with them forever. If you ask me, I think that the tears, the emotions, the sacrifice, the undying raw display of tired catharsis — all of it is just the proverbial residue of something much stronger at play: the inevitability of Lionel Messi.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The Atlanta Falcons might finally be off the hook as the holders of arguably the greatest single-game collapse in sports history, and Tom Brady might agree with that sentiment. Argentina appeared dead to rights in its World Cup round-of-16 match against Egypt on Tuesday, going down 2-0 in the 67th minute, putting its hopes of repeating as World Cup champs in jeopardy. But then, in the 79th minute, Argentina flipped the script. Argentina scored three unanswered goals, including one from Lionel Messi and one in stoppage time, to win 3-2. As Argentina put the finishing touches on its win, Brady couldn’t help but tip his cap to Messi’s squad. “Yeah so that might top 28-3,” Brady wrote with a mind-blown emoji in a post on X. If Argentina’s win did top the New England Patriots’ 28-3 comeback victory over the Falcons in Super Bowl LI, then the setting might not have been any more appropriate. Messi and Argentina pulled off the comeback at Atlanta Stadium, which is the home of the Falcons. As for the debate of whether Argentina’s comeback was greater than the comeback the Patriots had in Super Bowl LI, there are many ways you can slice it. However, the Patriots were able to cut into the Falcons’ 28-3 lead prior to the start of the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI. Argentina, on the other hand, didn’t score until after the second hydration break, which is now considered by some as the start of the fourth quarter of soccer matches. And another thing that could help Argentina’s case for being the holders of the superior comeback was that it didn’t need any extra time to seal its victory. Enzo Fernández scored two minutes into stoppage time, ensuring that Tuesday’s match wouldn’t go into extra time. The Patriots, meanwhile, didn’t tie the game against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI until the final minute before winning in overtime. Brady wasn’t the only sports star who reacted to Argentina’s epic comeback. Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Brunson and others were among those who shared their amazement with what happened on Tuesday afternoon in Atlanta.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

For 79 minutes, the champions were dead. Argentina trailed Egypt, 2-0, in Atlanta, Lionel Messi had a penalty saved, and the Pharaohs were countering like a team with zero interest in a moral victory. They just had to hang on in the 2026 World Cup round of 16 matchup and keep the defending champs at bay. Then came three goals in 14 minutes, resulting in a 3-2 final and rescuing an Argentina quarterfinal berth from the jaws of defeat. Here are my four takeaways from a game that took years off Argentine lives: 1. Argentina Can Win Ugly. That’s What Champions Do. Let’s not sugarcoat it: Argentina has been suffering. It needed 120 minutes and an own goal to survive Cape Verde. Against Egypt, it was down by two, heavily favored in both games and staring at the exit. It also caught a break — Mostafa Zico had an earlier goal chalked off when VAR found a Marawan Attia foul on Lisandro Martínez a full pitch away from the finish. Even the FOX broadcast squirmed at that one. But here’s the thing about serial winners: They don’t need to be brilliant, they need to be alive at the final whistle. Cristian Romero headed in a Messi cross. Messi equalized. Enzo Fernández buried the winner off a Lautaro Martínez cross, from a counter that started after Mohamed Salah was dispossessed at the edge of Argentina’s penalty box. From 2-0 down to 3-2 up in a flash. Pretty? No. The mark of a champion? Absolutely. 2. Messi Missed A Penalty. Then He Reminded Everyone Who He Is. The penalty miss should have been the story. Mostafa Shobeir dove to his right and stuffed Messi’s spot kick before the first hydration break — his second failed penalty of the tournament (the first player to ever miss two penalties in a single World Cup) after the miss against Austria. A 39-year-old carrying a nation, denied again. You’d forgive him for shrinking. Instead, he curled the cross that Romero converted, then arrived in the 83rd minute to score the equalizer himself — his eighth goal of the World Cup, now all alone at the top of the Golden Boot race ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. He has scored in every single game Argentina has played this tournament. He broke the all-time World Cup assists record. The man rewrites the record books on nights when everything works and on nights when nothing does. That second kind might be more impressive. 3. The Pharoahs Leave With Their Heads High — And New Heroes. What a ride this was for Egypt. Unbeaten in a group that included Belgium, topped Australia on penalties with a Mohamed Salah panenka, and mere minutes from eliminating the world champions. And they did it in the least expected way: with an aging Salah as facilitator and Omar Marmoush — goalless, assist-less and benched Tuesday after a miserable tournament — reduced to a late cameo. The unheralded names delivered instead. Yasser Ibrahim’s 15th-minute header stunned Atlanta. Haissem Hassan ran the right flank on the counter, setting up Zico’s goal after a Salah surge. And Shobeir was magnificent — the penalty save, plus stops on Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister and Julián Álvarez. Egypt were brilliant on the break. They just ran into the defending champions. It happens. 4. Now, The Uncomfortable Question: What’s Wrong With Argentina? Because something is wrong. The legs looked heavy — understandable after 120 minutes in the Miami furnace against Cape Verde, where Lionel Scaloni described his cramping team as “defending like a cornered cat.” The defense is shakier still. Four goals conceded in two knockout games, Ibrahim rising unmarked, and Argentina caught up-field on transition over and over. Egypt’s disallowed goal and Zico’s finish came from nearly identical counters. Good teams notice patterns like that. Spain-level teams will make them pay. And the dependency problem persists: Messi has eight goals; no teammate has been consistently dangerous. Álvarez keeps flickering without igniting. Romero and Fernández stepped up Tuesday — Argentina needs that weekly, not annually. Champions can win ugly. They can’t keep needing miracles.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The good vibes lasted eight minutes for the United States. That’s how long it took Charles De Ketelaere to silence the Seattle crowd on Monday night, and Belgium never gave the noise back. A 4-1 dismantling of the USA wasn’t just a round of 16 exit — it also was one of the worst collective performances by a U.S. men’s national team in recent memory, delivered at the exact moment the program could least afford it. For a month, this team had unified a country. Sold-out stadiums, “Country Roads” echoing throughout the crowd, a group won with a game to spare, a first knockout victory since 2002. Then FIFA’s disciplinary committee overturned Folarin Balogun’s suspension, and the mood around the world curdled overnight. Suddenly the darlings were the villains. Belgium noticed. The Red Devils spent the buildup insisting they weren’t scared of the crowd, the hosts or the circumstances. Then they went out and proved it. Let’s be honest about what happened here: While the U.S. committed self-inflicted wounds, Belgium caused many of them with its perfect game plan. Manager Rudi Garcia’s side played its most complete game in years — and did it after losing Amadou Onana to a serious knee injury in the 21st minute. Most teams wobble when their midfield anchor leaves on a stretcher’s timeline. Belgium simply plugged in Hans Vanaken, who went on to score the third goal. That’s not luck. That’s a team that knew exactly what it was. The way Belgium cut through the American press was surgical. Every time the U.S. stepped up, the ball zipped through the lines like the press wasn’t there. Leandro Trossard tormented the left side all night, and both De Ketelaere goals came from crosses the U.S. defended like strangers introduced at kickoff. The second was the killer: 61 seconds after Malik Tillman’s free kick had leveled the game, De Ketelaere posterized Tim Ream and headed Belgium back in front. Beaten in the air, slow to react, frozen in the moment. The first half told the whole story when Belgium outshot the U.S., 11-2. And remember, nobody was talking about this Belgium team pre-tournament. The golden generation is either gone or in their twilight. It couldn’t beat Egypt in the group. It couldn’t beat Iran. It trailed Senegal 2-0 late in the round of 32 and needed a frantic comeback just to survive. There were rumors of infighting. The No. 9 FIFA ranking felt like a relic. Then Garcia’s team produced this — ruthless, cohesive, cold-blooded — and suddenly a quarterfinal against Spain doesn’t look like a complete mismatch. For the U.S., the occasion was simply too big. You could see it in the nervous first touches, the panicked clearances, the decision-making of a team playing the only top-10 opponent it faced all tournament. And then came the moment that will live in infamy: Matt Freese wandered out of his area, trapped a long ball, hesitated, accidentally kicked the grass and coughed it up to Vanaken, who calmly finished from 30 yards into a net the last defender, Tim Ream, couldn’t reach. It’s the kind of mistake you barely even see on a JV soccer pitch, let alone in a World Cup knockout game on home soil. Romelu Lukaku’s stoppage-time fourth, off yet another giveaway, was just cruelty for the highlight reel. Mauricio Pochettino spent the weekend reminding everyone he’s only “a small part” of this operation. Convenient timing. His most talented American squad ever went out in the round of 16, same as everybody else this century. The U.S. will spend four years having nightmares about this one. But Belgium? It’ll spend Friday in Los Angeles, facing Spain, playing with house money as a written-off team that walked into the loudest building in America and turned the volume all the way down. Overturn that.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

With 95 of the record 104 matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup now complete, there has been no shortage of memorable matches at the tournament – and the best is still yet to come in the final eight matches. But before the tournament turns into a showdown of the world’s soccer giants in the quarterfinals, let’s take a look back at the five best matches of the tournament so far, from the group stage to the round of 16: There was high drama in Toronto, where one of two legends was going to see his World Cup career end. Former Real Madrid teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić faced off in a tense matchup that had a thrilling second half. Croatia opened the scoring through veteran Ivan Perišić, and it looked like the small nation was going to pull off another upset. Fifteen minutes later, though, Ronaldo stepped up to score his first-ever goal in the World Cup knockout stage with a penalty kick. Ronaldo was taken out in the 81st minute, and then his replacement Gonçalo Ramos stepped forward. The Portugal striker beat three Croatian defenders to head home a stoppage-time winner, and then Croatia had a potential equalizer ruled out after a lengthy VAR review. A draw from this game meant both teams would advance from Group J. It was the final window of group-stage games, and it sure delivered. The match was already 2-2 with Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez finding himself through on goal in the 93rd minute. The former Manchester City star called the situation “awkward,” but he did what his instincts told him to, which was to score. Both teams’ benches went back and forth before Sasa Kalajdzic tied the game again in the 96th minute. It was a situation that could only be seen at the World Cup. Ultimately, both teams were through and happy, but they made sure it was as difficult and dramatic as possible. The first of two Argentina matches on the list (spoiler), the reigning champions were in trouble late before getting going against Egypt in the round of 16. For the first 75 minutes of this matchup, Egypt looked like the better team. Center back Yasser Ibrahim scored off a set piece in the 15th minute before Lionel Messi missed a penalty six minutes later. Mostafa Ziko had a goal chalked off after a VAR review in the 58th minute, but he scored again nine minutes later to double the Pharaohs’ lead. Then, Argentina got going. Messi became the all-time leader in assists at the World Cup when his cross was headed home by center back Cristian Romero. Four minutes later, the star man himself made it 2-2 with a thunderous strike. The match-winner came in the 92nd minute, when midfielder Enzo Fernández met Lautaro Martinez’s cross brilliantly. The Chelsea man had momentum going away from the goal but got enough power on a header that was put perfectly in the far corner. England vs. Mexico in Mexico City is a matchup and venue that only the World Cup could give us – and boy, did it deliver. The atmosphere was electric before the match, with songs from England being roundly booed by the Mexican fans at the Azteca. You could tell supporters of El Tri were ready for an epic evening. Playing at higher than 7,000 feet of altitude for the first time, England was not intimidated. Jude Bellingham opened the scoring with a header and then added a second two minutes later. Julián Quiñones got one back for Mexico before halftime. In the second half, England defender Jarell Quansah was sent off for a high tackle. Six minutes later, though, Harry Kane buried a penalty kick to double England’s lead. Raúl Jiménez scored a penalty of his own in the 69th minute, and then the pressure was on. England, down to 10 men, defended like heroes for the final 20 minutes plus stoppage time, clearing every cross that Mexico sent in the box and doing all it could to maintain its lead. Ultimately, an incredible night in the Mexican capital for England supporters ended with the Three Lions serenading them with the Oasis hit, “Wonderwall.” A match no one will ever forget. Cape Verde was a fun story in the group stage, starting its tournament with a 0-0 draw against Spain before drawing two more games against Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. That was enough for second place in Group H, which set up a matchup with the reigning world champions. Few gave Cape Verde much of a chance. It would have been the biggest upset in the World Cup knockout stages according to FIFA’s World Rankings, which were introduced before the 1994 tournament. Early on, it did not look like an upset was on the cards. Lionel Messi scored his seventh goal in four games in the 29th minute, and there was a sense of inevitability to the game. Cape Verde midfielder Deroy Duarte stunned the stadium, though, when he equalized in the 59th minute. From there, the African island nation held strong to force extra time, but Argentine defender Lisandro Martínez struck in just the second minute of extra time. From there, we witnessed the best moment of the tournament. In the 103rd minute, Cape Verde winger Sidny Lopes Cabral picked up the ball on the left wing, cut inside on his right foot and delivered a stunning strike that went right in the top corner. Miami Stadium, and the world watching, could not believe what had just happened. Argentina defender Cristian Romero delivered a header that ultimately deflected off Cape Verde defender Diney Borges for an own goal in the 111th minute that gave Argentina the win.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports