Argentina face Egypt in World Cup 2026 last-16 tie as Messi meets Salah
Argentina squad
- Full squad
-
1 Juan MUSSO
Goalkeeper -
2 Marcos SENESI
Defender -
3 Nicolas TAGLIAFICO
Defender -
4 Gonzalo MONTIEL
Defender -
5 Leandro PAREDES
Midfielder -
6 Lisandro MARTINEZ
Defender -
7 Rodrigo DE PAUL
Midfielder -
8 Valentin BARCO
Midfielder -
9 Julian ALVAREZ
Forward -
10 Lionel MESSI
Forward -
11 Giovani Lo Celso
Midfielder -
12 Geronimo RULLI
Goalkeeper -
13 Cristian ROMERO
Defender -
14 Exequiel PALACIOS
Midfielder -
15 Nico GONZALEZ
Midfielder -
16 Thiago ALMADA
Forward -
17 Giuliano SIMEONE
Forward -
18 Nico PAZ
Forward -
19 Nicolas OTAMENDI
Defender -
20 Alexis MAC ALLISTER
Midfielder -
21 Jose Manuel LOPEZ
Forward -
22 Lautaro MARTINEZ
Forward -
23 Emiliano MARTINEZ
Goalkeeper -
24 Enzo FERNANDEZ
Midfielder -
25 Facundo MEDINA
Defender -
26 Nahuel MOLINA
Defender
Egypt squad
- Full squad
-
1 MOHAMED ELSHENAWY
Goalkeeper -
2 YASSER IBRAHIM
Defender -
3 MOHAMED HANY
Defender -
4 HOSSAM ABDELMAGUID
Defender -
5 RAMY RABIA
Defender -
6 MOHAMED ABDELMONEIM
Defender -
7 TREZEGUET
Forward -
8 EMAM ASHOUR
Midfielder -
9 HAMZA ABDELKARIM
Forward -
10 MOHAMED SALAH
Forward -
11 MOSTAFA ZICO
Midfielder -
12 Haissem HASSAN
Forward -
13 AHMED FATOUH
Defender -
14 HAMDY FATHY
Midfielder -
15 KARIM HAFEZ
Defender -
16 MAHDY SOLIMAN
Goalkeeper -
17 MOHANAD LASHIN
Midfielder -
18 NABIL DONGA
Midfielder -
19 MARAWAN ATTIA
Midfielder -
20 IBRAHIM ADEL
Forward -
21 MAHMOUD SABER
Midfielder -
22 OMAR MARMOUSH
Forward -
23 MOSTAFA SHOUBIR
Goalkeeper -
24 TAREK ALAA
Defender -
25 ZIZO
Forward -
26 MOHAMED ALAA
Goalkeeper
Argentina confronts Egypt in the World Cup 2026 knockout stage, with commentary centring on the Messi-Salah matchup. Argentina holds the status of clear favourite in the fixture, yet the coverage signals uncertainty, noting that earlier tournament results have demonstrated that established hierarchies and expected outcomes cannot be assumed in knockout competition.
The match carries consequences beyond the immediate result, as the winner advances toward a probable encounter with either Switzerland or Colombia. The article emphasises the tension between Argentina's stronger positioning and the genuine possibility of an unexpected outcome, framing this as a fixture where the conventional expectations may not materialise.
- Argentina faces Egypt in the World Cup 2026 round of 16, widely viewed through the Messi-Salah lens despite Argentina entering as heavy favourites
- Knockout football has proven unpredictable in the tournament, with prior results suggesting Argentina's dominance is not guaranteed
- The victor is likely headed toward a quarter-final against either Switzerland or Colombia
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by The Guardian as “Argentina v Egypt: World Cup 2026 last 16 – live”.