Ahead of the World Cup quarterfinal against Argentina, Switzerland coach Murat Yakin addressed the vulnerability of Lionel Scaloni’s team. Argentina‘s dramatic win over Egypt is already in the rearview mirror, and now the focus shifts to Switzerland, who eliminated Colombia on penalties to book their place in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals.
After getting through the shootout, Switzerland‘s head coach Murat Yakin didn’t hold back in assessing their next opponent, acknowledging both the danger and the vulnerability of the world champions.
“We’re playing against the world champion. There’s nothing better than having this opportunity. But it’s also been clear, over the last two matches, that Argentina is vulnerable,” Yakin said during his press conference.
“I think we’ve earned that respect, and we’ve worked for it. It’s going to be an interesting tactical match. We can challenge the world champion. For a nation like Switzerland, there’s nothing better than playing a World Cup quarterfinal against Argentina. So the anticipation is huge. I think I still need a couple hours, or a day, to process it,” he added.
Murat Yakin celebrates Switzerland’s victory vs Colombia. (Getty Images)
Argentina’s last two knockout matches back up Yakin’s claim. Cape Verde pushed the world champions to extra time in the Round of 32 before falling 3-2, and Egypt had them on the ropes in the Round of 16, leading 2-0 with just ten minutes to go before Scaloni’s side produced a frantic comeback to win 3-2.
Djibril Sow recalls beating France in 2020
Midfielder Djibril Sow echoed his coach’s confidence, pointing back to one of Switzerland’s biggest results in recent memory as proof they can compete with soccer royalty.
“For us, this is a very special match. It’s the first time we get to play a quarterfinal against a team that, for me, is one of the favorites to win the Cup. I think it’s going to be very difficult, but I see chances to win. We’re capable of beating great teams, like we’ve done in recent years, like France in 2020,” Sow told reporters after defeating Colombia.
Sow’s reference points to Switzerland’s stunning upset of France at Euro 2020 (played in 2021), when the Swiss came back from 3-1 down in the Round of 16 to force penalties against the reigning world champions — eventually winning the shootout in one of the biggest shocks in the tournament’s history.
Argentina vs Switzerland head-to-head World Cup record
History strongly favors Argentina heading into Saturday’s match. The two nations have met twice at the World Cup, and Switzerland have never beaten Argentina in either meeting.
The first came at the 1966 World Cup in England, a 2-0 Argentina win in the group stage. The second came at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where Argentina needed until the 118th minute of extra time to break the deadlock, with Angel Di Maria’s strike sending La Albiceleste through to the quarterfinals on their way to the final.