Messi vs. Salah headline final day of Round of 16
The Argentine national team, led by its star Lionel Messi, is looking to secure a spot in the World Cup quarter-finals when they face their Egyptian counterparts on Tuesday in a highly anticipated match in Atlanta, amid a fierce battle for the Golden Boot award.
The defending champions will meet Egypt, led by their top scorer Mohamed Salah, in pursuit of a ticket to the semi-finals, where the winner will face the victor of the Switzerland-Colombia match.
Argentina narrowly avoided a major upset in the Round of 32 against Cape Verde, securing the victory in extra time thanks to an own goal by Denny Borges, which drained the energy of the Albiceleste players.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian national team aims to continue its historic journey after reaching the knockout stages, noting that it has never previously advanced beyond the Round of 16 in World Cup finals.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said, "We are at the peak of concentration, just as we were before the Cape Verde match. Egypt is a strong team with outstanding players, and their coach has been working with the squad for some time, playing good football and always making things difficult for his opponents."
He added, "Mohamed Salah is a fantastic player, and we would be delighted to face him. Our team knows how to handle big players, and we are always prepared for such challenges."
Scaloni confirmed that 39-year-old Messi is ready to start despite playing the full duration of the previous match, including extra time.
The competition between Messi and Kylian Mbappé for the title of all-time top scorer in World Cup history is also heating up, with the Argentine star leading by one goal after raising his tally to 20.
Argentina is aware that it must deliver a better performance against Egypt, which has remained undefeated so far and managed to eliminate Australia on penalties in the Round of 32.
Salah, who is currently without a club following his departure from English side Liverpool, has scored only one goal in four matches in the tournament so far.
Attention turns to Vancouver, where Switzerland and Colombia will meet in a clash between two teams that have not suffered any defeats in the World Cup yet, in order to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
The Colombian national team, backed by a large contingent of fans wearing yellow, is viewed as the dark horse of the tournament.
Under Argentine coach Néstor Lorenzo, the team has conceded only one goal since the start of the competition, and relies on an attacking force led by Luis Díaz, alongside James Rodríguez, the winner of the Golden Boot at the 2014 World Cup.
Meanwhile, Switzerland aims to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since hosting the tournament in 1954, after delivering a notable performance in their 2-0 victory over Algeria in the Round of 32.
On Monday, the Spanish national team ended Cristiano Ronaldo’s dream of winning the World Cup by defeating Portugal 1-0, with a late goal from Mikel Merino in the first minute of stoppage time in the second half. Meanwhile, Belgium thrashed the United States 4-1 on their home soil.
The loss of the US national team, led by Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, resulted in the elimination of all host nations from the 2026 World Cup, after Canada and Mexico had already exited the tournament earlier.
