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Who: Argentina vs Egypt
Contents: 2026 FIFA World Cup – Round of 16
Location: Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Date and time: Tuesday, July 7th, 12pm (16:00 GMT)
How to follow: Get everything ready on Al Jazeera Sports from 12:30 GMT before the live text commentary stream.
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Get ready for a heated battle for number 10 when Argentina take on Egypt in the Round of 16 of the World Cup. A dazzling duel between Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah, two of the greatest forwards in world football.
Argentina were the clear favorites in every match played in this tournament, but a final draw that forced them to strive for victory shattered any notion that the reigning champions were invincible.
Meanwhile, Egypt continues its historic run and is preparing to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time in its history. One of only two African teams left in the tournament, they have carried the continent’s hopes against the world’s best.
Al Jazeera tells you everything about Argentina vs Egypt.
How did Argentina and Egypt reach the last 16?
Argentina topped Group J with a perfect record of nine points after defeating Austria, Algeria and Jordan. In the last 32, they were forced into overtime by a strong Cape Verde team, but defeated the tournament debutant 3-2 in a thrilling battle.
Egypt drew with Belgium and Iran and won against New Zealand, taking second place in Group G with five points. In the Round of 32, after a 1-1 draw in extra time, they defeated Australia 4-2 in a penalty shootout. For Egypt, who first appeared in the World Cup in 1934, this was the first time in their history that they had advanced to the final round of the World Cup.
More World Cup history invites Messi
This tournament’s Golden Boot race is a timeless race.
Argentina legend Messi, France’s Kylian Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland were tied with seven goals, with Mbappe leading the list and breaking the tie with two assists.
Messi, who has scored in all four games for Argentina so far, would not only become the Golden Boot leader but also join Guillermo Stabile (1930) as the only Argentine players to score eight goals in a single World Cup.
But fatigue is a concern ahead of Tuesday’s last-16 clash, and it’s not just for Messi.
Argentina was forced into extra time against Cape Verde in the intense heat in Miami, United States, on Friday, and on the same day, Egypt and Australia went into a penalty shootout. In these grueling finals, both teams had little time to rest and recover.
Messi admitted he was tired after the last match and lamented Argentina’s inability to press opponents high up the pitch.
Egypt, on the other hand, are relying heavily on their defensive organization, turning to Salah and Manchester City forward Omar Marmouche to mount a counterattack against Australia, and could adopt a similar approach against Argentina.
A fully fit Salah could be crucial for Egypt, as the attacking winger entered the game against Australia with a hamstring problem and appeared reluctant at times to sprint at full speed during the exhausting 120 minutes of the game.
If Egypt defeats Argentina, they will become the fifth African country to reach the World Cup quarter-finals, following Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002), Ghana (2010) and Morocco (2022 and 2026).
Argentina vs Egypt predictions
The Opta supercomputer gives Argentina a 69.1 percent chance of winning within the stipulated time, while Egypt has a 12.3 percent chance of winning.
The model estimates an 18.5% chance that a game will go into overtime.
Argentina vs Egypt: kickoff, TV schedule
Argentina: TyC Sports, TyC Sports Play (1pm, ADT) Egypt: beIN Sports (7pm, EDT) US: FOX, FOX One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network, Peacock (noon, ET) UK: BBC One, BBC iPlayer (5pm, BST)
To see the TV listings for your country, visit the FIFA TV listings schedule here.
Who will the winner face in the quarterfinals?
The winner of Argentina vs. Egypt will face either Switzerland or Colombia in the quarterfinals on Saturday, July 11th in Kansas City, USA.
Argentina vs Egypt: head-to-head
This will be the first World Cup match between Argentina and Egypt.
The last meeting between the two sides was in a friendly in Cairo in 2008, with Argentina winning 2-0.
Argentina has won eight consecutive World Cup games against African countries, two of which will take place in this tournament (3-0 against Algeria and 3-2 against Cape Verde). In the history of the tournament, no team has ever won three games against African opponents in one tournament.
Argentina vs Egypt: Team news
Argentina’s Gonzalez (ankle injury) and Medina (physical discomfort) are doubtful, while Egypt’s Fatou (muscle) and El Fotou (hamstring) are out injured.
Argentina’s projected lineup
(4-4-2): E Martinez (goalkeeper); Molina, Romero, L. Martinez, Tagliafico. De Paul, Mac Allister, Fernandes, Almada. messi, lautaro
Egypt’s expected lineup
(4-2-3-1): Shobair (goalkeeper). Honey, Ibrahim, Rabia, Hafez. Fathy, Atheya. Ashor, Salah, and Marmouche. Zico
