Atlanta Stadium | Tuesday, July 7, 2026 | Kick-off 12:00 PM ET / 17:00 BST
Argentina vs Egypt headlines Tuesday’s Round of 16 action, as defending champions Argentina face an in-form Egypt side at Atlanta Stadium, with a quarter-final berth on the line. The Argentina vs Egypt fixture also pits two of the sport’s most decorated forwards against one another, as Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah lead their respective nations into a rare meeting between continental heavyweights.”
Path to the knockout stage
Argentina progressed as Group K winners on the back of three consecutive victories, but were nearly eliminated by debutants Cape Verde in the Round of 32, requiring a 111th-minute own goal to secure a 3-2 win after extra time. Messi opened the scoring in that match, though Argentina twice surrendered the lead before Cristian Romero’s header, deflected in off Cape Verde defender Diney Borges, settled the contest.
Egypt’s route to the last 16 was similarly demanding. The Pharaohs required a penalty shootout to defeat Australia 4-2 following a 1-1 draw, securing their first-ever appearance at this stage of the tournament. The result follows Egypt’s first World Cup victory, recorded during the group stage, making this a historic campaign regardless of Tuesday’s outcome.
Head-to-head record
The two nations have limited history at senior level. Their only prior meetings are a 2008 friendly, won 2-0 by Argentina, and a 6-0 Argentine victory at the 1928 Olympics. Messi did not feature in the 2008 fixture due to injury. Tuesday’s match will mark the first competitive encounter, and first World Cup meeting, between the two sides.
Confirmed lineupsArgentina (4-4-2):
Argentina: Emiliano Martínez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández; Lionel Messi (captain), Julián Álvarez.
Egypt (4-2-3-1): Mostafa Shobeir; Mohamed Hany, Ramy Rabia, Yasser Ibrahim, Karim Hafez; Marwan Ateya, Emam Ashour, Mostafa Ziko, Mohanad Lasheen; Mohamed Salah, Haissem Hassan.
A notable selection call for Argentina: Julián Álvarez starts up front alongside Messi rather than Lautaro Martínez, who was withdrawn around the hour mark against Cape Verde. For Egypt, left-back Karim Hafez starts despite having been forced off with an injury concern against Australia — one to monitor as the match progresses.
Key considerations
Messi’s record pursuit. Argentina’s captain is positioned to become only the sixth player in tournament history to score in his team’s first five matches of a single World Cup, having already become the first player to score seven goals across two separate World Cup tournaments.
Defensive vulnerability. Despite their favourites tag, Argentina have shown susceptibility at the back — Cape Verde exploited space out wide with pace, nearly forcing an upset in the previous round. Egypt’s attacking pairing of Salah and Omar Marmoush presents a similar profile of threat.
Salah’s fitness and output. Egypt’s forward played through a hamstring concern that persisted through the full 120 minutes against Australia, yet his production has been unaffected: he has created 16 chances at this World Cup, one shy of the African-player record for a single tournament.
Egypt’s scoring and conceding pattern. Egypt have scored and conceded in six consecutive World Cup matches, a run matched only by Ghana between 2010 and 2022, suggesting an open, high-chance fixture is likely.
Statistical outlook
Opta’s pre-match simulations give Argentina a 69.6% win probability inside 90 minutes, with Egypt’s chances of an upset at 11.5% and an 18.9% probability of the match reaching extra time. Argentina’s underlying form supports the model: the champions are on an eight-match winning streak across all competitions, scoring multiple goals in every fixture during that run.
Predicted lineups
Argentina should line up with Emi Martínez in goal behind Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martínez and Medina, with De Paul, Fernández and Mac Allister in midfield, and Messi, Lautaro Martínez and Almada leading the attack. Egypt are expected to field Shobeir in net, a back four of Hany, Fathy, Ibrahim and Rabia, a midfield of Ashour, Lasheen, Ateya and Ziko, and Salah alongside Marmoush up front. Neither manager had confirmed a starting XI as of the latest reports, so these lineups remain projections.
What’s at stake
The winner advances to face either Switzerland or Colombia in the quarter-finals. For Argentina, victory would represent a further step toward becoming the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the World Cup title. For Egypt, reaching the quarter-finals would make them only the fifth African nation to do so, joining Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002), Ghana (2010), and Morocco (2022 and 2026).
Match information current as of kick-off day, July 7, 2026. Lineups are predicted and subject to change.