Why No World Cup Match Today? Understanding the Break

If you searched for FIFA World Cup games today and came up empty, that’s because no matches are happening. The tournament has paused briefly after the Round of 16 to allow teams some rest and to prepare for the next phase.

This break is planned to give national squads a chance to recover before the quarter-finals kick off again.

Drama in the Round of 16

The last two spots in the quarter-finals were decided on Tuesday, with intense contests:

• Argentina 3 - 2 Egypt: Argentina secured victory thanks to goals by Romero, Messi, and Enzo Fernández. Egypt fought back with strikes from Yasser Ibrahim and Ziko but ultimately fell short, also voicing concerns over refereeing decisions.
• Switzerland 0 (4) - 0 (2) Colombia: After a goalless draw through regular and extra time, Switzerland triumphed in the penalty shootout.

The semi-final matchups are set based on these quarter-finals:

• The winner between France and Morocco will face whoever wins Spain vs. Belgium.
• On the other side, the victor from Norway vs. England will meet the winner of Argentina vs. Switzerland.