Pre-match commentary
Argentina will face Egypt in the 1/8 round of the 2026 World Cup. This is a remarkable match when the defending champion is aiming to defend the throne, while the African representative is facing the opportunity to continue to write history.
Argentina advanced to the round of 16 after a difficult 3-2 victory over Cabo Verde after 120 minutes of play. Although not showing the overwhelming form as expected, coach Lionel Scaloni's team still showed bravery at decisive moments to extend their 11-match winning streak in all competitions.
La Albiceleste" is facing the opportunity to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the World Cup title. Statistics also support Argentina as they have won 24 consecutive matches on neutral ground and won all 8 recent encounters with African representatives at the World Cup since the defeat to Cameroon in 1990.
Besides the solidity in the defense, Argentina still possesses many quality attacking options. Lionel Messi continues to be the leader when co-leading the top scorer race with 7 goals, while Lautaro Martinez, Alexis Mac Allister or Rodrigo De Paul all maintain stable form.
In the opposite direction, Egypt is creating the most successful World Cup in history. Coach Hossam Hassan's team surpassed Australia on penalties to win for the first time in a World Cup knockout match.
The Pharaohs" have only lost 1 of their last 8 international matches. Notably, three of their four matches at the 2026 World Cup ended in a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes, showing certainty in their playing style as well as the ability to maintain a balanced game against strong opponents.
Head-to-head history is not on Egypt's side as they have only won 1 in 16 encounters with South American teams. The two teams have also only met once, in a friendly match in 2008 and Argentina won 2-0.
The biggest highlight of the match will be the confrontation between Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah. This is the first time the two world-class stars have faced each other at the national team level. Messi is in very high scoring form with 7 goals in the tournament, while Salah has only scored 1 goal but is the player who created the most chances in the 2026 World Cup with 16 times.
According to the prediction of the Opta supercomputer, Argentina is rated significantly higher thanks to the quality of the squad and experience in major matches. However, Egypt shows that they are a difficult opponent with a tight defensive style and counter-attacking ability based on the speed of Salah and Omar Marmoush. If Argentina maintains the efficiency from the beginning of the tournament, they still have many opportunities to win tickets to the quarter-finals.
Force information
Argentina is not sure to have Facundo Medina's service due to a minor injury, while Nico Gonzalez still has a problem with his ankle. Nahuel Molina and Enzo Fernandez have returned to training but their ability to play from the start is still open.
On the Egyptian side, Karim Hafez, Ahmed Fatouh and Ahmed Abdelmonem still need to be further assessed for their fitness. Mohanad Lasheen returned after serving a suspension.
The Argentina vs Egypt match in the 1/8 round of the 2026 World Cup will take place at 11:00 PM on July 7 (Vietnam time).
Expected lineup
Emiliano Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Medina; De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Mac Allister; Thiago Almada, Lautaro Martinez, Messi.
Shobeir; Hany, Fathy, Ibrahim, Rabia; Ashour, Lasheen, Ateya, Ziko; Salah, Marmoush.
