Argentina face Egypt in World Cup 2026 last-16 tie as Messi meets Salah

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Argentina face Egypt in World Cup 2026 last-16 tie as Messi meets Salah

The Guardian · 10 hours ago

Argentina
Argentina
3
FIFA WC26
3-2
Finished
Egypt
Egypt
2

Squads
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

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Originally published by The Guardian as “Argentina v Egypt: World Cup 2026 last 16 – live”.