Lionel Messi will have the chance to edge ahead in the race for the Golden Boot when Argentina face Egypt in Tuesday’s World Cup round of 16 clash, with a place in the quarter-finals also at stake.
The defending champions head into the encounter in Atlanta determined to avoid another scare after needing extra time to overcome tournament debutants Cape Verde in the previous round. Argentina eventually progressed thanks to an own goal by Diney Borges, but the performance highlighted areas coach Lionel Scaloni believes must improve.
Scaloni said his side would not underestimate Egypt, describing the African nation as a disciplined team with experienced players capable of causing problems. He reserved special praise for Mohamed Salah, calling the Egyptian captain one of the game’s top talents while expressing confidence that Argentina were prepared to deal with such threats.
The Argentina coach also confirmed that Messi is fully fit despite playing all 120 minutes against Cape Verde. The 39-year-old remains central to Argentina’s title defence and is locked in an intense Golden Boot contest with France’s Kylian Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland, with all three players having scored seven goals. Mbappe currently leads the standings on assists, while Messi also holds a one-goal advantage over the French forward in the race to become the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer.
Egypt, meanwhile, arrive in the knockout stages unbeaten after eliminating Australia in a penalty shootout. Although Salah has found the net only once in four matches and is currently without a club following his departure from Liverpool, he remains the team’s biggest attacking threat.
Head coach Hossam Hassan insisted his players were focused on their own performance rather than the reputation of their opponents, describing the World Cup as the ideal stage for Egypt to prove they belong among football’s elite.
Elsewhere, Switzerland and Colombia will battle for another quarter-final place in Vancouver. Colombia have impressed throughout the tournament, conceding just once while relying on the attacking quality of Luis Diaz and James Rodriguez. Switzerland, seeking their first World Cup quarter-final appearance since 1954, booked their place with a 2-0 victory over Algeria.
The winners of Tuesday’s matches will join France, Morocco, Norway, England, Spain and Belgium in the last eight. Spain ended Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup campaign with a narrow victory over Portugal, while Belgium comfortably defeated the United States.
The tournament has also been overshadowed by controversy after Folarin Balogun was cleared to play despite a previous red card. The decision reportedly followed an intervention by US President Donald Trump, prompting criticism from Spanish football chief Javier Tebas, who questioned FIFA’s governance and warned that such rulings undermine the credibility of the sport.
