Argentina v Egypt: World Cup 2026 last 16 – live

Key events

1h ago

The teams

2h ago

Preamble

Argentina get the ball rolling. It’s relatively cool under the closed roof.

The teams congregate in the tunnel. Mo Salah clasps friendly hands with Lionel Messi, then warmly hugs his former Liverpool team-mate Alexis Mac Allister. A lovely moment before everyone marches out to battle. A fine atmosphere inside the home of the Atlanta Falcons. Argentina are in their famous blue and white stripes, while Egypt wear first-choice red. We’ll be off once the anthems have been sung and coins tossed. Give it five.

Pre-match postbag. “At last, a game I can actually watch without falling asleep half way through. Well, I say that, but I’m on holiday and have been on the McTinn since lunchtime. Wimbledon’s just not the same since Andy Murray stopped playing, so it’s the World Cup all the way for me now. Somebody’s bringing it home, that’s for sure, hopefully it’ll be anyone but England, baby!” – Simon McMahon

“Be prepared for the following scenario. Belgium team gets deported. USA plays Spain as Belgium is not available (permissible under article DT250GI). Spain gets deported. USA plays France. France gets deported along with the Statue of Liberty. You get the drift. 19th July USA is crowned champions unopposed” – krishnamoorthy v

“That claim of biking from Buenos Aires to Atlanta seems outrageous. I asked Google. Bicycling from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Atlanta, Georgia covers roughly 5,000 to 6,000+ miles (8,000 to 10,000 km) along the Pan-American Highway. Cyclists on long-haul tours generally take 1.5 to 2.5 years to complete the journey, though a highly aggressive, direct pace might cut the timeline down to about six months” – Astonished Nigel

One goal today will put Lionel Messi ahead in the race for the Golden Boot. Here’s how it looks at the moment as four genuine superstars scrap for soccer’s shiniest shoe.

There’s time to kill before kick-off. What better way to spend it than with Max, Barry et al? Join them in waving cheery-bye to Cristiano.

You wait all day for one Ed Aarons post … then two come along at once! Just as I was trailing his preview piece, Ed gets in touch with this communiqué from Georgia.

The atmosphere is building at the Atlanta Stadium, where temperatures are already in the 30s. Thankfully it’s fully air-conditioned inside. As you might expect, there are thousands of Argentina fans here to see if the reigning champions can book their place in the quarterfinals but not all have managed to get tickets. One has even cycled all the way from Buenos Aires to be here so let’s hope he gets lucky. There’s also plenty of Pharaohs fans wearing Mohamed Salah shirts. Can the Egyptian King inspire them to a famous victory?

A tale of two 10s. Lionel Messi and Mo Salah have met twice before. Ed Aarons has the details.

Egypt make two changes after the penalty shootout win over Australia. Haissem Hassan replaces Omar Marmoush up front, while Mohanad Lasheen comes into the midfield at the expense of Hamdy Fathy.

Argentina make three changes to their starting XI following the 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde. Nicolás Tagliafico, Leandro Paredes and Julian Alvarez come in for Facundo Medina, Thiago Almada and Lautaro Martínez.

The teams

Argentina: Emiliano Martinez, Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Tagliafico, De Paul, Paredes, Mac Allister, Fernandez, Messi, Alvarez.

Subs: Musso, Rulli, Senesi, Montiel, Barco, Lo Celso, Palacios, Gonzalez, Almada, Simeone, Paz, Otamendi, Lopez, Lautaro Martinez, Medina.

Egypt: Shobeir, Hany, Rabia, Ibrahim, Hafez, Ashour, Attia, Lasheen, Hassan, Salah, Ziko.

Subs: El Shenawy, Soliman, Mohamed Alaa, Abdelmaguid, Trezeguet, Abdelkarim, Fathy, Emad, Adel, Saber, Marmoush, Tarek Alaa, Zizo.

Referee: Francois Letexier (France).

Argentina and Egypt have only played each other twice before. Most recently, Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Burdisso scored the goals in a 2-0 victory for La Albiceleste  in a 2008 friendly in Cairo. Lionel Messi was out injured that day, so that has about as much relevance as the meeting at the 1928 Olympic Games, which Argentina won 6-0.

Egypt’s progress out of the groups was a bit more fraught. A staunch draw with Belgium, a win over New Zealand, and a skin-of-their-teeth draw against Iran.

Having won their first group game at the World Cup, Egypt then went on to register their maiden knockout victory. It wasn’t that memorable … not until Mo Salah converted a Power Panenka, anyway.

Here’s how the world champions Argentina have got here. It was plain sailing in the groups, with Lionel Messi rattling them in during wins over Algeria, Austria and Jordan …

… though things got a bit trickier in the next round. Messi is unquestionably a World Cup legend … but in a different sort of way, Sidny Lopes Cabral is too.

A reminder of how it all began … and a chance to reacquaint yourself with both teams.

Preamble

Messi versus Salah is an awfully reductive way of framing this match. But it is Messi versus Salah. But while you’d expect Messi’s Argentina to have too much for Salah’s Egypt … that Cape Verde match proved nothing is nailed-on. Also …

… and he wasn’t even on the pitch. But the underdog vibes of that day are the same. So you never know. Chances are, Argentina will set up a quarter-final match with either Switzerland or Colombia. But … well … that t-shirt, and that outcome, shows why we’re going to have to go through more than the motions. Kick-off is at 12pm EDT/5pm BST. It’s on!