Argentina needed to dig deep to progress to the Round of 16 and now face an Egypt side determined to be competitive on their debut at this stage of the competition.
Round of 16
Wednesday, 8 July | Atlanta Stadium
Kick-off time
12:00 (GMT+8)
The match
The most decorated nations in South American and African football meet in Atlanta as 16-time Copa America champions Argentina face seven-time CAF Africa Cup of Nations winners Egypt for a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ quarter-finals.
Having swept into the knockout stage as Group K winners on the back of three consecutive victories, reigning champions Argentina were almost dealt one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history by debutants Cabo Verde in the Round of 32 – needing a late own goal to seal a 3-2 win after extra time. Egypt were required to go even further to book their place in the Round of 16 for the first time, defeating Australia 4-2 on penalties after a tense 1-1 draw.
While they each had to fight for their places at this stage, the fact remains that neither of these sides has tasted defeat yet in North America. For Argentina, the Round of 16 is familiar territory; La Albiceleste have now reached this stage at every World Cup since 2002. But this encounter represents more new ground broken for Egypt, who recorded their first-ever World Cup win in the group stage. The two nations have met only twice previously at international level, with Argentina winning a 2008 friendly 2-0 thanks to goals from Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Burdisso, and their other encounter taking place at the 1928 Olympics, where the South American nation cruised to a 6-0 success.
Argentina possible starting XI
Emi Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Medina; De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Mac Allister; Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Almada
Egypt possible starting XI
Shobeir; Hany, Rabia, Yasser Ibrahim, Hafez; Hamdy Fathy, Marwan Attia; Zico, Emam Ashour, Salah; Marmoush
What they said….
“We are on alert just like we were before the match against Cabo Verde. Egypt is also a good rival. It’s a very good team. They have important players and a coach that has been working with them for a while now. They play good football and always make it difficult for their rivals. Salah is a great player, it will be a pleasure to face him. Our team knows how to face these great players and we always work hard for it.” Lionel Scaloni, Argentina coach
“Argentina has great players. Of course, they have the legendary Messi, but we do respect all their squad. This is football, and we cannot disrespect our opponent. I’ve been working with my players and preparing them regardless of the color of the opponent’s shirt, or what name they have, and what ranking they have. This is a World Cup, a great opportunity to prove ourselves and that we belong here.” Hossam Hassan, Egypt coach