Messi to shine again, but Ndoye to have his moments too.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals come to a close with Argentina taking on Switzerland. Lionel Messi has the opportunity to strengthen his bid for the Golden Boot and could put himself well clear with just two matches remaining. However, Argentina’s task may not be as straightforward as many expect, with Switzerland arriving full of confidence after weathering sustained pressure and surviving several clear-cut chances from Colombia in the Round of 16.

Social media’s top tipster Andy Robson is back again with some Argentina v Switzerland tips, all of which are player selections covered by Paddy’s Super Sub offer. Here we go…

Argentina v Switzerland Bet Builder tips

Lionel Messi to Score Anytime
Alexis Mac Allister to be shown a card
Dan Ndoye 1+ Shots on Target (inc. woodwork)

A Bet Builder with these selections pays approximately 15/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK OR TAP HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.

Andy’s Bet Club is packed with predictions and data-backed Football Tips. You can also get ready for the rest of the tournament with World Cup 2026 Predictions.

WHEN: Sunday, July 12th, 2am
WHERE: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
TV: ITV 1 / ITV X / STV

Lionel Messi to Score Anytime

Lionel Messi has netted eight goals at this World Cup, tying him with Kylian Mbappe. At 39, he could be leading the race outright by this time tomorrow, even though he only came off the bench in Argentina’s final group-stage match.

With better luck and more composure, he might already be miles ahead of Mbappe, having already missed two penalties in the tournament. The Cape Verde game is also testament to this, as Messi fired off nine shots against the spirited debutants and was unlucky to see five of them saved.

That said, he’s found the net in every World Cup game he’s played so far, and also contributed an assist, setting up Cristian Romero against Egypt in the last match to spark the comeback. 

The maestro is still performing at an elite level, and Argentina continually look to get him on the ball. Even on days when he’s not at his sharpest, he remains a decisive and dangerous presence in the final third.

Alexis Mac Allister to be shown a card

Argentina have gotten away with murder so far when it comes to collecting cautions at this World Cup, to the point where speculation around bias turns into something a bit more tangible. 

That being said, the referee here is ideal for cautions. Joao Pinheiro has officiated two games at the World Cup, with his first game seeing him dish out three yellow cards, a red card and award a spot kick in Switzerland v Bosnia.

He has a career average of 4.38 cards per game across 222 matches and I expect Argentina’s infringements to be more regularly punished now that we are in the latter stages of the tournament. 

I think Mac Allister is well placed to pick up one of these cards, as he’s committed five fouls across his four starts at the World Cup (1.07 per 90) and has an interesting looking duel with Granit Xhaka here.

There’s also the fact that Xhaka is surprisingly good when it comes to winning fouls to consider. After all, he’s a player you’d generally expect to be committing fouls more often than winning them, but the Sunderland man has actually been fouled 12 times at the World Cup so far (2.25 per 90) and will be a man Argentina need to stifle in midfield.

Dan Ndoye 1+ Shots on Target (inc. woodwork)

I think Ndoye can be a real threat from the left wing, given that Argentina have conceded 2+ goals – against clear pre-match outsiders in the form of Cape Verde and Egypt – in each of their two knockout matches to date.

They’ve looked particularly vulnerable in situations where the opponents are transitioning. Forebodingly for them, Ndoye and Switzerland have proven capable of excelling in that situation, with Ndoye having taken 13 shots at the World Cup (3.63 per 90) to date, seeing six of these efforts find the target (1.68 per 90).

Granted, Ndoye can be inconsistent at times with his efforts, but the Nottingham Forest winger is a real danger to this Argentina backline, who do look a bit unorganised at the moment.

World Cup tips for Argentina v Switzerland

Lionel Messi to Score Anytime
Alexis Mac Allister to be shown a card
Dan Ndoye 1+ Shots on Target (inc. woodwork)

A Bet Builder with these selections pays approximately 15/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK OR TAP HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

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