The FIFA World Cup has reached a critical knockout phase with Argentina set to defend their title against Egypt at Atlanta Stadium on Tuesday at noon local time (16:00 GMT). Argentina enters the match as clear favorites, holding a 69.1% chance of winning within 90 minutes, according to the Opta supercomputer based on 25,000 simulations. The two teams last met in a 2008 friendly in Cairo, where Argentina won 2-0.

Simultaneously, Switzerland and Colombia will compete at BC Place in Vancouver at 1 pm local time (20:00 GMT) for progression to the quarterfinals.

The tournament has also featured significant moments including Cristiano Ronaldo’s final World Cup appearance and emotional exits in the last 16. Egypt’s Hassan, who previously held up a Palestinian flag after their win over Australia, spoke for over four minutes during a Monday press conference, receiving applause from journalists.

In a notable political statement, France captain Kylian Mbappe criticized Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla for making racist remarks following Paraguay’s round-of-16 defeat to France. Mbappe condemned the senator’s comments, stating they overshadowed the historic efforts of the Paraguayan players during the tournament.

Meanwhile, the USA’s hopes for a deep run in their home World Cup ended after Belgium’s 4-1 victory, highlighted by Charles De Ketelaere’s two goals and an assist.

Sources