Argentina’s lineup features Emiliano Martinez, Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Tagliafico, De Paul, Paredes, Mac Allister, Fernandez, Messi, and Alvarez. The substitutes include Musso, Rulli, Senesi, Montiel, Barco, Lo Celso, Palacios, Gonzalez, Almada, Simeone, Paz, Otamendi, Lopez, Lautaro Martinez, and Medina.
Egypt’s team consists of Shobeir, Hany, Rabia, Ibrahim, Hafez, Ashour, Attia, Lasheen, Hassan, Salah, and Ziko, with substitutes El Shenawy, Soliman, Mohamed Alaa, Abdelmaguid, Trezeguet, Abdelkarim, Fathi, Emad, Adel, Saber, Marmoush, Tarek Alaa, and Zizo on the bench.
The match will be officiated by referee Francois Letexier from France.
Historically, Argentina and Egypt have met only twice prior. The last encounter was a friendly in 2008 in Cairo, where Argentina triumphed 2-0 thanks to goals from Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Burdisso, with Lionel Messi absent due to injury. This meeting holds little significance compared to their first clash during the 1928 Olympic Games, where Argentina won decisively 6-0.
Egypt’s journey to this stage has been more challenging. They secured a vital draw against Belgium, followed by a victory over New Zealand and a narrow draw against Iran.
In their first World Cup match, Egypt claimed a historic knockout win, albeit in an unremarkable fashion until Mo Salah executed a memorable Power Panenka.
Argentina, as the reigning champions, had a smoother path through the group stage, with Lionel Messi showcasing his brilliance in victories against Algeria, Austria, and Jordan.
However, the next round presented tougher challenges. While Messi is undeniably a World Cup legend, Sidny Lopes Cabral also carved out his unique legacy.
This matchup, often framed as Messi versus Salah, simplifies the complexities of the game. Yet, the expectation leans toward Messi’s Argentina having the upper hand against Salah’s Egypt. Still, the unpredictable nature of football, as seen in the Cape Verde match, reminds us that outcomes are never guaranteed.
Though Salah wasn’t on the pitch during that encounter, the underdog spirit remains relevant. As the match approaches, Argentina is likely to set up a quarter-final showdown with either Switzerland or Colombia. Kick-off is scheduled for 12 PM EDT/5 PM BST, promising an exciting clash ahead.
- World Cup 2026
- World Cup
- Argentina
- Egypt football team
