Diving into the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, plus a France-Morocco preview

The GIST: Twenty-seven days and 96 games later, the FIFA men’s World Cup (WC) quarter-finals (QFs) are set. Today’s the first day in a while without a game, so take the respite to check on your bracket and read up on the upcoming matches, plus how the final two teams clinched their spots.

🔥 Down two goals to nil, Argentina rebounds and survives: To the heartbreak of Egypt fans, defending WC champs Argentina conjured the Dark Arts made magic happen again yesterday, scoring three second-half goals in 13 minutes, including this Lionel Messi stunner, to defeat Egypt 3–2.

• Their QF opponent? Switzerland, who defeated Colombia in a wild penalty shootout yesterday after a 0–0 regulation draw, advancing to the QFs for the first time since 1954.

📺 The QFs begin with France vs. Morocco tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET: It’s a fiery rematch of the 2022 WC semifinal, which France won 2–0 before losing to Argentina in the final. Les Bleus have dominated the tourney behind the high-scoring winger trio of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise, who’ve combined for 11 goals and nine assists.

• That said, Morocco’s Atlas Lions will be hungry for revenge. Star striker Ismael Saibari is dealing with a hamstring injury, but will pose a challenge for France if he takes the pitch. Either way, expect these QFs to start with a bang.