Messi inspires an Argentina comeback as the quarter-final line-up is completed

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Argentina produced the round's most dramatic finish, recovering from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2 with three goals in the closing stages. Cristian Romero headed in from a Lionel Messi cross, Messi equalised in the 83rd minute and Enzo Fernández struck the winner in stoppage time, according to ESPN, after Messi had earlier missed a penalty. The comeback sent the champions into the quarter-finals and ended Egypt's tournament.

Switzerland completed the last-eight field by beating Colombia on penalties, Rubén Vargas converting the decisive kick after a goalless 120 minutes in Vancouver. Per CBS Sports, the shootout win took Switzerland to the quarter-finals for the first time since 1954 and eliminated Colombia.

The results confirmed the quarter-final bracket: France meet Morocco on July 9, Spain face Belgium and Norway play England on July 10, and Argentina take on Switzerland on July 11, per Olympics.com.

Transfer and squad notes

Messi's contribution took his tally to eight goals for the tournament, the most of any player, keeping him ahead in the Golden Boot race despite his missed spot-kick against Egypt, according to Olympics.com.

Egypt's exit came after they had led 2-0 and looked set for a famous win, only to concede three times late; Mohamed Salah's tournament ended in the round of 16, per Al Jazeera.

What it means for the league

The last eight is now set, blending heavyweights — Argentina, France, Spain and England — with the tournament's surprises in Morocco, Norway, Switzerland and Belgium. Messi's late influence keeps him at the heart of the Argentina story and the scoring charts, while Switzerland's shootout nerve continues an unpredictable knockout run. The quarter-finals begin on July 9, with the field narrowing toward the semi-finals.