The defending world champions are back in action today, along with three other nations in the 2026 World Cup Round of 16. Yet the biggest World Cup story on Tuesday, July 7 is drawn out of merely two players: Argentina’s Lionel Messi and opposing Mohamed Salah of Egypt.
Messi has outperformed almost every striker in the 2026 World Cup while looking ageless at 39. Salah is one of the event’s mid-30s footballers who have gone invisible at times. Can Salah rekindle his youthful form against the GOAT?
Tonight's brush-up in British Columbia is the forgotten game on this week’s slate, at least in North America. Switzerland vs. Colombia doesn’t possess the continental star power of a Messi match, an England-Mexico meeting, or Team USA, but it could be among the round’s tightest and toughest matchups.
With that in mind, let's dive into some World Cup predictions today for the Round of 16, including PrizePicks Team Picks data for both clashes.
Make your World Cup predictions for the Round of 16 on PrizePicks today!
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World Cup Predictions, Schedule, Payouts to Advance, Over/Unders – Tuesday, July 7
Before jumping into today’s World Cup match predictions, let’s glance at the full schedule for the Round of 16 on Tuesday, July 7, including winner payouts and totals for each match via PrizePicks.
Team Picks markets are settled after full-time (90 minutes + stoppage). Extra time and penalties are not included.
Payouts show potential returns on correct Team Picks predictions. A 2x payout returns $200 on a $100 entry. Lower multipliers reflect outcomes users are picking as more likely. Payouts are live as of writing and subject to change.
Argentina vs. Egypt: Round of 16
How to Watch Argentina vs. Egypt: FOX (English) / Telemundo (Spanish)
Kickoff Time: Noon ET
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta Stadium), Atlanta, Georgia
- To Advance Payout: Argentina 1.13x | Egypt 5.26x
- Spread: Argentina -1.5 (2.12x)
- Total Goals: Over 2.5 (2x) | Under 2.5 (1.75x)
Switzerland vs. Colombia: Round of 16
How to watch Switzerland vs. Colombia: FOX (English) / Telemundo (Spanish)
Kickoff Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
Venue: BC Place Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- To Advance Payout: Switzerland 2.32x | Colombia 1.56x
- Spread: Colombia -1.5 (4.34x)
- Total Goals: Over 2.5 (1.63x) | Under 2.5 (2.17x)
Argentina vs. Egypt Spread Prediction for World Cup Round of 16
Too bad Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a dome. Otherwise, Wild West clichés would be flying like Emiliano Martínez goal kicks. It’s Messi vs. Salah at high noon, yet the only dramatic shadows will be cast by Atlanta’s indoor lighting. Argentina vs. Egypt could be a shootout nonetheless.
Argentina is favored to beat Egypt — no surprise in a matchup of defending champs versus a Pharaohs side that’s never played in the Round of 16. However, Argentina’s back line looks weakened after giving up 3 goals in 3 halves, bringing Egypt’s +1.5 spread into focus.
It’s crazy that La Selección’s Round of 32 match surpassed Egypt’s as a thriller, since Salah’s squad needed a tiebreaker vs. Australia. Argentina’s 3-2 defeat of Cape Verde was magic, a rare tilt in which each team won, except for Martinez’s back line losing some street cred.
What allowed Cape Verde to pierce Argentina’s proud defending? Can Egypt turn the Blue Sharks’ blueprint into its own upset bid?
Egypt’s lineup today is boosted by the workhorse MF Mohanad Lashin following his double yellow-card suspension. That’s exciting for the Pharaohs, with Emam Ashour already starring in the 2026 World Cup. The Pharaohs rank 14th of 48 in shots inside the penalty area, above Argentina’s rank of 16th, per FIFA.
Salah needs a supporting cast to flourish at a late age, though the same can be said of Messi. Messi and his sidekick Rodrigo de Paul can be a magic combination, yet de Paul has only produced 1 assist in the event thus far.
The duo’s matchup remains a favorable one against Egypt backs like Mohamed Hany, who has the ignominy of scoring 2 own goals in the 2026 World Cup.
The Round of 32 perhaps sent a shudder through La Selección manager Lionel Scaloni, who might be poised to pare down and settle for a 1-goal win in the style of Pep Guardiola in the FA Cup quarterfinals. Scaloni’s back line needs more support.
Argentina didn’t allow Round-of-32 goals on Cape Verde’s wild counters, but on possessions, exposing the champs as the World Cup’s third-slowest team. If the favorites can’t run Egypt’s faster team (18th in the same category) out of the final third, Salah could get his opportunities to score.
Find our full prediction and player picks here!
Lock in your Lionel Messi or Mohamed Salah prediction on PrizePicks before kickoff.
Switzerland vs. Colombia Spread Prediction for World Cup Round of 16
The cautious goals outlook on Switzerland vs. Colombia reflects Vancouver’s opposing soccer cultures. Switzerland is known as the scrappy, relentless contender of UEFA, making up for a lack of star strikers in the same fashion Colombia is famous for.
But the 2026 World Cup is a tourney of surprises, and one of those revelations has been Switzerland’s attack.
Switzerland scored an outstanding 8 times in its last 3 games, defeating Bosnia, Canada, and Algeria by an aggregate 8-1 tally. Rennes forward Breel Embolo has been a sensation with 2 goals and 2 assists in the tournament. MF Granit Xhaka is “granite” for the Swiss yet again.
Colombia has produced only 5 goals on 79 strikes. The Coffee Growers look more like their traditional selves than Switzerland’s flashy new team. Is Colombia a true favorite, or a favorite’s pick drawn out of familiarity in Vancouver’s kickoff today?
It could take more than an upstart midfielder being out for the Swiss to lose by more than a goal, although the media is aghast at Switzerland’s lost chances due to Johan Manzambi’s injury. Manzambi has been the A-Team’s unlikely scoring leader, factoring in 5 goals.
Switzerland hasn’t been to the World Cup quarterfinals since 1954, while Colombia has gone as recently as 2014. Standouts such as Rubén Vargas or GK Gregor Kobel represent Swiss cogs thought by some to be “immature” for this moment in their late 20s.
Yet one can’t overlook the contrast between Colombia’s hype and its results with the football so far. Daniel Muñoz, a defender, leads the Coffee Growers with 2 goals. Colombia MF Juan Quintero is completing just 82% of his pass attempts vs. 90% accuracy for Xhaka.
The Swiss have shown more quality with or without Mazambi’s contribution, attempting 98 defensive linebreaks to Colombia’s 78. In addition, Colombia isn’t that much more experienced. There's pressure on each team, but Colombia’s fans are so rabid that more may be on them.
Switzerland’s newfound attacking ability might just make Colombia into a dodgy pick to cover.
Who will advance from today’s Switzerland vs. Colombia contest? Make your World Cup prediction on PrizePicks!
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Make World Cup Predictions Today for Round of 16 on PrizePicks
Messi vs. Salah makes Argentina vs. Egypt the World Cup Round of 16’s main attraction today. Are there opportunities for PrizePicks users in the “forgotten” Colombia-Switzerland battle?
Don’t wait until lock — make your World Cup Round of 16 predictions on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right on every World Cup game.
With Team Picks, you can make predictions on World Cup match winners, spreads, over/unders, and futures, now available in 35 states. Plus, you can pick World Cup players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re right on Player Picks!
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