With the World Cup reduced to eight teams, Yahoo Sports and The Guardian publish panel-style predictions ahead of the quarter-finals. Both pieces focus on who could pose the biggest challenge to France and who is most likely to win the tournament. The Guardian highlights Lionel Messi’s role for Argentina, noting that Messi produces decisive performances even at age 39, including Argentina’s win over Egypt where he showed “magic” in his play. It also points to Messi’s World Cup penalty record, describing four goals from eight attempts, while still emphasizing his effectiveness in key moments. Across the coverage, the central theme is assessing the remaining contenders and identifying which teams might derail France in the quarter-final stage. The combined reporting does not present a single, official prediction from one organization; instead, it compiles opinions from writers and panel contributors about matchups and tournament outcomes, including who might ultimately lift the trophy.