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Argentina and Egypt will face each other in the Round of 16 of the on Tuesday, July 7 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, in a in World Cup history.
La Albiceleste arrives at the matchup as the absolute leader of Group J: nine points, perfect victories, and a goal difference of +7 after thrashing Algeria (3-0), Austria (2-0), and Jordan (3-1). However, the path to the Round of 16 was not easy: Argentina defeated Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time on Thursday, July 3, in Miami, with goals from Lionel Messi, Lisandro Martínez, and an own goal in the extra period, after being behind on the scoreboard during the second half.
Egypt, for its part, is marking one of the major milestones of the tournament. The "Pharaohs" finished second in Group G with five points — a draw against Belgium, a 3-1 victory over New Zealand, and a draw with Iran — and on Thursday eliminated Australia in the penalties after a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes, with Mohamed Salah among the shooters in the shootout (4-2).
The victory over New Zealand in the group stage was the first historic win for Egypt in World Cups, a team that prior to the tournament had zero wins, two draws, and five losses in its three previous appearances (1934, 1990, and 2018). Advancing to the round of 16 also represents their best World Cup result in 92 years.
Argentina, the reigning world champion since Qatar 2022, approaches the match as the favorite, although the stumble against Cape Verde revealed certain defensive vulnerabilities that Egypt might try to exploit. Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martínez were highlighted as key figures in the Argentine defense during that match.
The match has no previous history between the two teams in World Cup tournaments, which adds an element of uncertainty to the encounter. The winner will advance to the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Lionel Messi, 38 years old, has indicated that this is, most likely, his last World Cup, making every match of the Albiceleste a moment in football history.
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