Latin America Sports Daily for Wednesday, July 8, 2026

Argentina stun Egypt 3-2 with three goals in 11 minutes — Latin America’s last hope marches on

Result

For neutral readers: Argentina are the reigning world champions, and on Tuesday night they produced the drama of the tournament. They pulled off arguably one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history, taking down Egypt 3-2 after trailing 2-0 as late as the 77th minute.

Egypt had led through a first-half header from Yasser Ibrahim and a second from Mostafa Zico after the break. Then the storm came — Cristian Romero pulled one back with a header, Lionel Messi equalised from inside the box, and at 92 minutes Enzo Fernández headed home a counter-attack.

The result matters beyond Buenos Aires. With Uruguay, Ecuador, Paraguay, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia all among the 40 teams already eliminated, Argentina alone carry the region’s hopes into the last eight.

Wednesday, fittingly, is a breather — the quarter-finals follow the first day without World Cup action since the ball started rolling on June 11.

Quarter-finals set: Argentina v Switzerland headlines a heavyweight weekend

Preview

The bracket is complete and the schedule runs Thursday to Saturday. France v Morocco opens on Thursday, July 9 at Gillette Stadium in Boston, followed by Spain v Belgium on Friday, July 10 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles — 4pm ET and 3pm ET kick-offs respectively.

Saturday is the big one for this region. Norway v England is at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, before Argentina v Switzerland at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, with the Albiceleste kicking off at 9pm ET on Saturday, July 11.

The gap in pedigree is real but so is Swiss resilience — Argentina sit third in the live FIFA rankings, Switzerland 15th, and the Swiss have just gone 120 minutes without conceding against Colombia.

Look further ahead and the prize sharpens: the winners of the two semi-finals meet in the final on Sunday, July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Colombia fall 4-3 on penalties to Switzerland after goalless epic

World Cup

Colombia’s fine tournament ended the cruellest way. Switzerland became the final team to seal a place in the last eight after edging Colombia in a shootout after the match finished scoreless.

The decisive moment fell to a Swiss forward — Ruben Vargas converted the fifth penalty in the shootout against Colombia, sending Los Cafeteros home with a 0-0 (4-3) scoreline.

That victory completed the field for the quarter-finals — and, for Latin America, confirmed that one team out of the region’s seven qualifiers survived to the last eight.

Neymar walks away: Brazil’s record scorer retires after Norway defeat

Feature

Brazil’s World Cup ended on Sunday and an era ended with it. Norway produced one of the shocks of the tournament, beating Brazil 2-1 with a double from Erling Haaland, and Neymar’s late goal was not enough.

Moments after full-time, the 34-year-old confirmed the worst fears of Brazilian fans. He announced his retirement from international football, saying: “It started here at Met Life stadium and I finished here. It is now over” — the same MetLife Stadium where he debuted for Brazil in 2010.

The numbers are immense: 130 official matches, 80 goals and 59 assists, leaving the Seleção as its all-time top scorer by FIFA’s criteria, ahead of Pelé. Yet the trophy he chased never came.

The wider gloom is measurable too — this was Brazil’s worst World Cup campaign since 1990, and by 2030 the five-time champions will have gone 28 years without lifting the trophy.

Life after elimination: Brasileirão returns on July 16

Football

For Brazilian fans seeking consolation, club football is close. The Brasileirão paused for the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19, but it restarts before the final.

Round 19 begins on July 16, opening with two simultaneous fixtures — Botafogo v Santos and Vitória v Vasco, both at 7.30pm local time.

Fluminense v Bragantino and Mirassol v Grêmio follow the next day, and on Tuesday, July 21 Atlético-MG host Bahia — a quick pivot from national mourning to the domestic title race.

More: Egypt news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

When do Argentina play next and how can I watch?

Argentina face Switzerland in the quarter-finals on Saturday, July 11 at 9pm ET at Kansas City Stadium, live on FOX in the US.

Every match streams on Fox One and the Fox Sports app, with Spanish-language coverage on Telemundo and Universo and streaming via Peacock.

Why did Colombia go out of the World Cup?

Switzerland edged Colombia in a shootout after the match finished scoreless across 120 minutes on Tuesday. The final scoreline was 0-0, with Switzerland winning the penalties 4-3, Ruben Vargas converting the decisive fifth kick.

Has Neymar definitely retired from Brazil duty?

Yes — after Sunday’s defeat to Norway the 34-year-old Santos forward made clear his national-team career was over, and he leaves with 130 caps, 80 goals and 58 assists, his only senior title the 2013 Confederations Cup.