Football

Messi, Salah set for blockbuster World Cup last-16 showdown

Published

2 months ago

July 7, 2026

Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Egypt talisman Mohamed Salah will go head-to-head on Tuesday as their countries battle for a place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The defending champions take on the African side in Atlanta, with the winners set to face either Switzerland or Colombia in the last eight.

Argentina survived a major scare in the Round of 32, edging World Cup debutants Cape Verde after extra time, and coach Lionel Scaloni expects another stern test against an unbeaten Egyptian side.

“We are on the alert just like we were before the match against Cape Verde,” Scaloni said. “Egypt are a very good team with important players. Salah is a great player, and it will be a pleasure to face him.”

Scaloni also confirmed that Messi is fit despite playing the full 120 minutes in Argentina’s previous match.

The 39-year-old shares the tournament’s Golden Boot lead with France’s Kylian Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland on seven goals, although Mbappe tops the standings on assists. Messi also leads Mbappe by one goal in the all-time World Cup scoring charts, with 20 goals.

Egypt, meanwhile, reached the Round of 16 after defeating Australia in a penalty shootout and will look to make history by reaching the quarter-finals for the first time.

Coach Hossam Hassan insisted his team would not be intimidated by the reigning champions.

“This is a World Cup, a great opportunity to prove ourselves and that we belong here,” he said.

Elsewhere, Switzerland will face Colombia in another Round of 16 clash between two unbeaten teams. Colombia have impressed with their attacking play, led by Luis Diaz and James Rodriguez, while Switzerland are aiming to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1954.

Six teams have already secured quarter-final places — France, Morocco, Norway, England, Spain and Belgium — with the remaining two spots to be decided on Tuesday.