Argentina vs Egypt: Match Preview

Argentina should handle Egypt comfortably enough in this Round of 16 clash. Their run through the group stage has looked sharp, with four straight wins including that 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde on 3 July and earlier 3-1 and 2-0 successes against Jordan and Austria. Egypt scraped through after a penalty shootout win over Australia, but their form has been patchy with draws against Iran and Belgium mixed in.

Messi sits as the tournament's top scorer with seven goals already. He lines up in the expected 4-4-2 alongside Lautaro Martinez, with the usual suspects like De Paul and Mac Allister providing support from midfield. Egypt will rely heavily on Salah, who starts despite the hamstring monitoring, and Marmoush up front in their own 4-4-2. But they lose Mohanad Lasheen to suspension after his second yellow against Iran, which thins their options in the middle.

The head-to-head record stretches back to 2008 when Argentina won 2-0 in a friendly, and there's little else recent to go on. Argentina enter as defending champions with momentum on their side, while Egypt's progress after that historic shootout feels more like a bonus than a sign of sustained threat. The Atlanta heat on 7 July at 16:00 GMT might test both, yet the South Americans have shown they can grind out results even when stretched.

Expect Messi to find space against Egypt's backline, especially with players like Ashour and Attia tasked with shutting him down. Egypt have kept things tight at times but conceded in most of their matches so far. Argentina's attack has clicked consistently, and they shouldn't need extra time here.