{"id":51518,"date":"2026-07-07T10:15:37","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T10:15:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/51518\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T10:15:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T10:15:37","slug":"world-cup-predictions-last-16-argentina-vs-egypt-and-switzerland-vs-colombia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/51518\/","title":{"rendered":"World Cup predictions last 16: Argentina vs Egypt and Switzerland vs Colombia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to The Athletic\u2019s daily World Cup Predictions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article gives you the lowdown on all today\u2019s games but with the bonus of some friendly competition\u2026<\/p>\n

Throughout the tournament, we will have one of two Athletic writers (Andy Jones or Elias Burke \u2014 with help from our experts from each of the 48 countries) pitting our soccer knowledge against a different Athletic subscriber each day and \u2018Algo\u2019, the shiny new algorithm from The Athletic, which is making its computerised debut during the 2026 World Cup.<\/p>\n

Oh, and a dog called Stanley and a six-year-old called Wilfred (who some of you may remember from last season\u2019s Premier League predictions).<\/p>\n

Get free access to the most comprehensive World Cup coverage in The Athletic app<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Our guest subscriber today is Myles, from the U.S., who supports Mexico and Aston Villa. Good luck, Myles!<\/p>\n

If you would like to apply to be our guest subscriber for a day during this tournament, please follow the instructions in the article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What happened on Matchday 26?<\/p>\n

Spain left it late to book their place in the World Cup quarter-finals as Mikel Merino scored the winner in added time to send Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo \u2014 for the last time \u2014 home from the World Cup<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Spain continues to look like one of the tournament\u2019s main contenders and it\u2019s why all of us predicted they would beat Roberto Martinez\u2019s side.<\/p>\n

We had a difference of opinion though in the second game of the day as subscriber Myles and Stanley backed the hosts United States while the top three in the table all were hoping Belgium had received a wake-up call after their near-elimination by Senegal.<\/p>\n

Results from July 6, 2026<\/p>\n

The build-up to the match was dominated by FIFA\u2019s controversial decision to suspend Folarin Balogun\u2019s one-game ban<\/a> for the red card he received against Bosnia and Herzegovina, meaning one of the United States\u2019 key players was available. Belgium were not happy, and it appeared to serve as a \u2018pin it on the dressing room wall\u2019 motivation as they made an electric start<\/a> and took the lead through Charles De Ketelaere after nine minutes.<\/p>\n

Balogun was always going to have some say in the game and it was the free kick he won that led to an equaliser for the United States. Malik Tillman\u2019s effort found the back of the net via a big deflection. But Belgium regained the lead as Leandro Trossard \u2013 who is having an excellent World Cup \u2013 crossed for De Ketelaere to head in his second.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Controversy surrounded the Balogun decision (Carl Recine\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Goalkeeper Matt Freese then ventured outside of his box to try and deal with a Belgium attack<\/a>, but was dispossessed by De Ketelaere and Hans Vanaken capitalised. After another US error, Lukaku confirmed Belgium\u2019s progression into the next round with the fourth goal in added time.<\/p>\n

The front three of Algo, us (the experts) and Wilfred continue to pull away with Algo still on top by one point. It is still all to play for, especially with rumours swirling that Stanley has contacted FIFA and The Athletic bosses to see if they can change any rules without explanation to facilitate his comeback.<\/p>\n

\tOverall
accuracyCorrect
picksBest
streakThe algorithm69%6514TA experts68%6411Wilfred (age 6)66%627Reader picks62%585Stanley the dog39%374 <\/p>\n

\t\tHow do the predictions work?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s pretty simple: we will give you some background on each game, players to watch and facts on the two teams.\u00a0Then we will predict the outcome.<\/p>\n

We will maintain a leaderboard of how everyone gets on with their predictions (ranked by the percentage they get correct) but we\u2019ll also keep a record of \u201cstreaks\u201d \u2014 the number of predictions everyone gets right in a row. These streaks also form a crucial part of\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s interactive Soccer Pick\u2019ems feature<\/a>, allowing you to make your own picks every round as well.<\/p>\n

So come along and get involved, and check back each day to see how we are getting on in the leaderboard \u2014 and probably more importantly, whether you, the subscribers, or Stanley or Wilfred are beating us.<\/p>\n

Or, worst of all, whether \u2018Algo\u2019\u00a0can prove data and statistics know all when it comes to predicting.<\/p>\n

Good luck, and enjoy!<\/p>\n

Predictions for Matchday 27Argentina vs Egypt, Round of 16, kick-off 12pm (noon) ET, 5pm BST<\/p>\n

Where to watch: FOX (U.S.), ITV (UK)<\/p>\n

Streak Risk Factor: 2\/5. Egypt have proven hard to beat but Argentina should have more than enough quality to go through.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Watch Rating: 3\/5. It\u2019s Lionel Messi time again. He\u2019ll leave you sitting there watching and saying \u2018wow\u2019 again and again. Cape Verde also showed that you can make Argentina wobble and if any upset is possible, it is sure to be dramatic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Athletic Soccer Experts say: \u201cArgentina survived an unexpected scare as they were taken to extra time by the tournament\u2019s surprise package Cape Verde<\/a>. What was unsurprising was that it was Messi who played a key role in his side\u2019s progression.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cArgentina will always have a chance when their 39-year-old talisman is on the pitch. This is a favourable last-16 draw but they must defend better and cannot allow complacency to set in because they may not get away with it for a second time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Lionel<\/p>\n

\n Messi continues to amaze at 39 (Carmen Mandato \u2013 FIFA\/FIFA via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cCrucially for Egypt, their own star man Mohamed Salah recovered from a hamstring injury to start the last game. He played the entire 120 minutes and scored a deft, lofted penalty in the shootout. At the end of the round of 32, he had created the joint-most chances of any player at the World Cup with 16 alongside Belgium\u2019s Leandro Trossard.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Athletic Soccer Experts: ARGENTINA WIN<\/p>\n

Guest Subscriber Myles: ARGENTINA WIN<\/p>\n

Six-year-old Wilfred: ARGENTINA WIN<\/p>\n

Stanley the dog: ARGENTINA WIN<\/p>\n

Algo: ARGENTINA WIN<\/p>\n

Our picks for July 7, 2026<\/p>\n

\t\tSwitzerland vs Colombia, Round of 16, kick-off 4pm ET, 9pm BST<\/p>\n

Where to watch: FOX (U.S.), ITV (UK)<\/p>\n

Streak Risk Factor: 5\/5. Two of the tournament\u2019s \u2018dark horses\u2019 face off for a place in the quarter-finals. We\u2019ll put Colombia as slight favourites.<\/p>\n

Watch Rating: 4\/5. Colombia, even if they haven\u2019t scored too many goals, have been a really good watch and Switzerland have grown into the competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Athletic Soccer Experts say: \u201cColombia are a really balanced side with threat in attack, while maintaining a solid defensive foundation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe main concern for Colombia remains how clinical they are in front of goal. Against Ghana, it was another game where they had 20 shots, eight of which were on target, but they only scored once. Since scoring three against Uzbekistan in their opening game, they have registered 64 shots in their last three matches but have only scored twice.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere has not been much focus on Switzerland but they probably haven\u2019t minded that as they have gone about their business effectively and efficiently. They have been able to rely on their experienced tournament performers like Ricardo Rodriguez, Manuel Akanji, Granit Xhaka and Breel Embolo to guide them through.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cJohan Manzambi\u2019s breakout tournament continued in Switzerland\u2019s 2-0 victory over Algeria as his assist for Embolo\u2019s opener took his to five goal involvements for the tournament (three goals and two assists). The 20-year-old has cemented his place in Murat Yakin\u2019s starting XI and feels like he will be key to how far Switzerland can go in this tournament\u201d<\/p>\n

The Athletic Soccer Experts: COLOMBIA WIN<\/p>\n

Guest Subscriber Myles: COLOMBIA WIN<\/p>\n

Six-year-old Wilfred: COLOMBIA WIN<\/p>\n

Stanley the dog: SWITZERLAND WIN<\/p>\n

Algo: COLOMBIA WIN<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Welcome to The Athletic\u2019s daily World Cup Predictions. This article gives you the lowdown on all today\u2019s games…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":51519,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[7579,4027,1376,11350,2881,19216,751,3937,2266,389,19215,9154,19214,15384,99,2265,2383,5852,556,865,9507,19076,5853,31,200,16928,1066,19213,19211,2264,2938,9508,11024,1727,4240,1726,100,5280,1437,2217,9506,1743,6110,2192,17,9873,3448,12048,2251,3691,6530,19212],"class_list":["post-51518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-spain","tag-algeria","tag-argentina","tag-australia","tag-austria","tag-belgium","tag-bosnia-herzegovina","tag-brazil","tag-canada","tag-cape-verde","tag-colombia","tag-congo-dr","tag-croatia","tag-curacao","tag-czech-republic","tag-ecuador","tag-egypt","tag-england","tag-fifa-mens-world-cup","tag-france","tag-germany","tag-ghana","tag-haiti","tag-international-football","tag-iran","tag-iraq","tag-ivory-coast","tag-japan","tag-jordan","tag-mexico-mens-national-team","tag-morocco","tag-netherlands","tag-new-zealand","tag-norway","tag-panama","tag-paraguay","tag-portugal","tag-premier-league","tag-qatar","tag-saudi-arabia","tag-scotland","tag-senegal","tag-soccer","tag-south-africa","tag-south-korea","tag-spain","tag-sweden","tag-switzerland","tag-tunisia","tag-turkey","tag-uruguay","tag-us-mens-national-team","tag-uzbekistan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51518","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51518"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51518\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}