00:10Welcome to Beyond the Game, the ball stays pure. Argentina staged a thrilling
00:15comeback against Egypt to book its place in the quarterfinals. Atlanta's stadiums hosted
00:19one of the most dramatic and electrifying matches of the tournament so far, so Argentina
00:23defeated Brazilian Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16. Venezuela's colonial side was pushed
00:28to the limit to keep its title defense alive. The Ferros stunned the defending champions
00:32twice, with Yasser Ibrahim opening the score in the 15th minute before Mostafa Zico extended
00:38Egypt's lead in the 67th, putting Argentina on the brink of elimination. But the comeback
00:43began in the 79th minute, when Cristiano Romero pulled one back. Just four minutes later,
00:48Lionel Messi leveled the match at 2-2, and Enzo Fernandes completed a dramatic turnaround
00:52with the winning goal in the third minute of stoppage time. With the victory, Al Albi
00:56Celeste advances to the quarterfinals where it will face Switzerland. The match was known
01:01without controversy. The third goal was a no for Egypt after a VAR review in an extremely
01:06similar play that led to Argentina's third goal. For one side, the VAR intervened, for
01:11the other, it remained silent. The Egyptian Federation filed a complaint before FIFA.
01:23I felt like many Argentines must have felt with a bit of anguish after the second goal. But
01:28we know Argentina has grip, has resilience. And Argentina's heart is there. And, well, we asked
01:37the Virgin of Lujan for that goal to come, for all the other goals that came right after. The truth
01:43is,
01:43it was very emotional. We never gave up, but we were very nervous. I kept thinking, no, no, no. And
01:52then my voice is like this because of the second goal. I always know we're going to win. I suffered
02:00a
02:00lot, but we're going for the fourth one. And now, Saturday, I don't know, chaos for sure. Party from now
02:07until Saturday. Party, and then we'll see.
02:12And Switzerland also advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after
02:17defeated Colombia in a dramatic penalty shootout. The round of 16 clash at Vancouver Stadium was
02:22defined by disciplined defending and very few clear-cut scoring opportunities, with neither side able to
02:27break the deadlock over 120 minutes, sending the match to penalties. Switzerland proved more clinical
02:33from the spot, as Granit Xhaka, Zeki Amuni, Cedric Eaton, and Ruben Vargas all converted,
02:38overcoming Manuel Akanji's missed attempt. Colombia responded through Juan Quintero, Hamilton Campas,
02:43and Luis Diaz, but misses from Davinson Sanchez and Juan Camilo Hernandez handed the Swiss a 4-3
02:49shot-out victory. The result sends Switzerland into the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time
02:54in 72 years.
03:10And Ajif and Flans applauded their team's World Cup campaign despite a dramatic 3-2 defeat to
03:16Lionel Messi's Argentina in the last 16 in Atlanta.
03:23We did the impossible, and the impossible wasn't enough. Today our players were heroes.
03:28They did more than their part, honestly. We were equal, and they had the spirit of warriors.
03:34Thank God we played a great match that we couldn't even have dreamed of.
03:37We came very close to winning, but it wasn't meant to be.
03:42Hossam did many good things. The team was exhausted, but the important thing is that we are happy.
03:48We are happy to have these players. They played good football and showed great determination.
03:54I want to tell the players, you have honored us. We are truly proud of every single one of you,
04:00and of the entire coaching staff, especially the coach, Hossam Hassan. It's the first time the
04:06national team has achieved something historic. We are extremely happy with your performance this
04:11year, and hopefully the future will be even better. Hard luck.
04:21And Colombian fans expressed their pride at their team after playing with everything they had.
04:32We thought we would go as far as possible. It wasn't to be, but I know we gave it our
04:37all. It just
04:38wasn't our day. We gave it our all. It was a very tough match. We weren't up against just any
04:45team,
04:46and it was a great game. We kept believing until the very last moment. This is as far as we
04:52got,
04:52but I'm proud that the whole world got to see what Colombia and Colombians are all about.
04:59And following the racist remarks made by a Paraguayan senator against France captain
05:04Kylian Mbappe, French defender Diode Upamecano has publicly expressed his support for his
05:09teammate condemning these comments as completely unacceptable.
05:17He remains very focused on the match, even though such comments are unacceptable. We are all behind him.
05:30We must continue to fight against racism. As I said, we are all with him. I hope this person will
05:37face
05:39consequences. And the Croatian Football Federation announced that national team head coach Lato Dalic
05:47will step down following Croatia's elimination against Portugal at the World Cup. Dalic officially
05:52informed Croatian Football Federation President Marijan Kustik that his tenure will come to an end
05:57after the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup. He lives as the most successful and longest serving coach in
06:03the history of Croatian football, after nearly nine years in charge. The veteran managed to describe
06:08the decision as the most difficult of his career, saying that leading his country has been the greatest
06:13owner of its life. Dalic highlighted historical victories, including wins over England and Brazil,
06:19as well as the three medals Croatia captured under his leadership. Achievements, he said, exceeded all of
06:24his initial expectations. He added that the national team still has a very promising future ahead.
06:35Well, this is all for this edition of Beyond the Game, The Ball State Spear. We'll be back with more
06:39information on story shaping this World Cup. We'll go back to you, Lore. Thank you so much,
06:44Lizzie, for keeping us posted on today's updates in the world of football.
