Argentina meet Egypt in World Cup last-16 test in Atlanta
Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah lead Argentina and Egypt into a World Cup knockout match with a quarterfinal place on the line.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Argentina will face Egypt on Tuesday in the FIFA World Cup round of 16, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals. Al Jazeera reported that the match is scheduled for Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, at 12pm local time, or 16:00 GMT.
The game brings together Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah in a knockout meeting between the defending champions and an Egypt side seeking its first World Cup quarterfinal appearance. Al Jazeera reported that Egypt are one of two African teams still in the tournament.
How they got here
According to Al Jazeera, Argentina won Group J with nine points after victories over Austria, Algeria and Jordan. Argentina then beat Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time in the round of 32.
Egypt finished second in Group G on five points, drawing with Belgium and Iran and beating New Zealand, Al Jazeera reported. Egypt reached the last 16 by defeating Australia 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw through extra time, securing the country’s first World Cup knockout win.
Both teams enter the match with limited recovery time after 120-minute games on Friday. Al Jazeera reported that Messi said after the Cape Verde match that he was tired and noted Argentina had struggled to press high up the pitch.
Messi, Salah and the scoring race
Messi has scored in all four of Argentina’s matches at this World Cup, according to Al Jazeera. He is tied on seven goals with France’s Kylian Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race, with Mbappe listed ahead because of his two assists.
If Messi scores against Egypt, Al Jazeera reported, he would join Guillermo Stabile, who played in 1930, as the only Argentina player to score eight goals in a single World Cup. Messi played the full 120 minutes against Cape Verde, according to AFP’s match photo caption cited by Al Jazeera.
Egypt are expected to rely again on structure in defence and counters through Salah and Omar Marmoush, Al Jazeera reported. Salah came into the Australia match with a hamstring concern and at times did not appear to sprint freely during the long contest, according to Al Jazeera.
Odds, history and team news
Opta’s supercomputer gives Argentina a 69.1 percent chance of winning in regulation time. The same model puts Egypt’s chance of a regulation win at 12.3 percent and the chance of extra time at 18.5 percent, according to Al Jazeera.
This will be the first World Cup match between Argentina and Egypt, Al Jazeera reported. Their most recent meeting was a 2008 friendly in Cairo, which Argentina won 2-0.
Argentina have won eight straight World Cup matches against African opponents, including wins over Algeria and Cape Verde at this tournament, according to Al Jazeera. No team has beaten three African sides in one World Cup edition, Al Jazeera reported.
Al Jazeera listed Argentina’s Gonzalez, with an ankle injury, and Medina, with physical discomfort, as doubtful. Egypt’s Fatouh, with a muscle injury, and El Fotouh, with a hamstring injury, are out.
The winner will play Switzerland or Colombia in the quarterfinals in Kansas City on Saturday, July 11, according to Al Jazeera. Egypt would become the fifth African nation to reach a World Cup quarterfinal, after Cameroon, Senegal, Ghana and Morocco, if they beat Argentina.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.