World Cup Nights: Messi drags Argentina back to stun Egypt 3-2, Switzerland edge Colombia on penalties. The last eight is set and starts tomorrow

A night of high drama. In Atlanta, holders Argentina were 2-0 down to Egypt with eleven minutes left, then Messi lit the fuse: Romero on 79', Messi on 84', Enzo Fernandez on 90'+2' for a 3-2 that smelled of destiny, and left VAR fury in its wake. In Vancouver, Switzerland and Colombia played out a goalless 120 minutes settled from the spot: Gregor Kobel the hero, Ruben Vargas the executioner, the Swiss into a World Cup quarter-final for the first time since 1954, against Argentina. The bracket is now set. Today is a rest day; the quarter-finals kick off tomorrow.

It began at Atlanta Stadium, where the world champions came within a whisker of the tournament's biggest upset. Hossam Hassan's Egypt played without fear and struck first: on 15' Yasser Ibrahim headed home Marawan Attia's cross for 1-0. Six minutes later Messi had the chance to level, but his tame penalty was pushed away by Mostafa Shobeir, a fourth miss from the spot in eight World Cup attempts for the little maestro. After the break Egypt doubled up: on 58' Mostafa Zico bundled in Haissem Hassan's low cross. And then came the VAR night: the Pharaohs had another goal chalked off for a contact judged a foul in the build-up, a brutally harsh call. It looked done, but Argentina needed just eleven minutes. On 79' Cristian Romero headed in a Messi cross (2-1); on 84' Messi himself made it 2-2, a fierce strike that kissed the bar and dropped in, his eighth of the tournament and top of the scoring charts. On 92' Enzo Fernandez completed the turnaround for 3-2. Messi left the pitch in tears; Egypt were furious at the disallowed goal and at a Mac Allister shirt-pull that went unreviewed moments before the winner.

In Vancouver, on the BC Place turf, the opposite played out: 120 goalless minutes between Switzerland and Colombia, a hatful of regrets and two Cafeteros efforts off the woodwork (Lucumi and Campaz agonisingly close in extra time). It all came down to penalties, and that is where Gregor Kobel took over: the Swiss keeper denied Cucho Hernandez, while Davinson Sanchez smashed his kick against the bar. From the spot Ruben Vargas, a late substitute, did not flinch: his effort into the bottom corner sealed a 4-3 win and a historic passage. Switzerland reach a World Cup quarter-final for the first time since 1954, and, of all sides, it is Messi's Argentina waiting for them.

Two verdicts, plenty of stories. Lionel Scaloni hailed his players' spirit: 'When things aren't going your way, there isn't just one way to win. It takes grit, intensity, guts and the spirit we carry with us: these boys always have it.' On the other side, Egypt vowed to press FIFA over the two contentious calls, on a night Salah and company will long remember as the one that got away. And there was a heavy blow for the quarter-finals too: Belgium lose Amadou Onana to a ruptured cruciate ligament, right on the eve of their clash with Spain.

With these two results the quarter-final bracket is now complete, and today the World Cup takes a breather: no games tonight. It resumes tomorrow, again in late-evening Italian time. On Thursday at 22:00 France-Morocco opens the slate in Boston; on Friday at 21:00 comes the heavyweight tie Spain-Belgium in Los Angeles; on Saturday at 23:00 Norway-England in Miami, before the last quarter-final, Argentina-Switzerland, played in the Italian small hours between Saturday and Sunday (02:00) in Kansas City. Eight teams, four one-off ties: from here, it gets serious.

On we go, one night at a time. See you tomorrow at dawn.

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