Argentina takes on Switzerland in the World Cup quarterfinal Friday evening at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Kickoff is 9 p.m. ET on July 11, with the winner advancing to the semifinals. At 39 years old, Lionel Messi leads the tournament scoring charts, making every match potentially his last World Cup appearance.

Argentina advanced through the group stage relatively smoothly but faced major scares in knockout play. The defending champions drew 1-1 with Cape Verde in Round of 32 before winning in extra time. They then scraped past Egypt 3-2 in Round of 16 after a massive second-half comeback. These narrow margins make Argentina vulnerable against a surging Swiss side.

Switzerland on Historic Run

Switzerland breezed past Algeria in Round of 32 before grinding out a penalty shootout win against Colombia in Round of 16. Reaching the quarterfinals ranks as the deepest run for the Swiss since 1954. A semifinal appearance would represent the defining achievement in modern Swiss football history.

The Swiss have never beaten Argentina across seven meetings. Oddsmakers favor Argentina as solid 4-5 favorites, reflecting confidence in Messi and company.

The Messi Factor

With Messi scoring eight goals already, Argentina possesses lethal attacking threat. If this is truly his final World Cup, every performance takes on added weight for the 39-year-old Inter Miami player.

Argentina versus Switzerland kicks off Friday July 11 at 9 p.m. ET.