Argentina Eye Quarter-Final Spot as Egypt Chase Historic World Cup Upset

Posted : 06 July 2026

Defending champions Argentina will take on Egypt in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with a place in the quarter-finals on the line in Atlanta.

Argentina enter the knockout clash as clear favourites after progressing from the previous round with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Cape Verde. According to the Opta supercomputer, Lionel Scaloni's side have a 69.1 percent chance of advancing to the last eight.

Lionel Messi once again led the way for Argentina by scoring against Cape Verde to take his tally to seven goals at this year's tournament. The strike made him the first Argentine player to score at least seven goals in two different World Cups, although France's Kylian Mbappe later matched that feat during the knockout stage.

The 39-year-old captain now has the chance to equal Guillermo Stabile's Argentina record of eight goals in a single World Cup. Another goal would also see Messi become only the sixth player in history to score in each of his country's first five matches at a World Cup.

Despite progressing, Argentina faced fitness concerns during their previous match. Facundo Medina was forced off with severe cramp, while Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Gonzalez both battled through injuries after Scaloni had used all his substitutions.

The Argentina coach admitted his team struggled late in the contest but praised his players for defending under pressure to protect their narrow lead. He added that the squad would focus on recovery before facing Egypt.

Argentina have been one of the tournament's strongest attacking teams, scoring at least two goals in each of their last 10 World Cup matches. Another multi-goal performance would equal Uruguay's historic record of scoring twice or more in 11 consecutive World Cup games.

Egypt, however, arrive full of confidence after eliminating Australia on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the Round of 32. The Pharaohs remain unbeaten in the tournament and are bidding to become only the fifth African nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.

Mohamed Salah overcame concerns over a hamstring problem to play the full 120 minutes against Australia before calmly converting a Panenka penalty in the shootout. The Liverpool forward has also been one of the tournament's most creative players, producing 16 chances so far.

Egypt have shown they can both score and compete against strong opponents, finding the net eight times while conceding nine goals across their last six World Cup matches. Their attacking threat means Argentina cannot afford any lapses in concentration.

The winners of Tuesday's encounter will advance to the quarter-finals, where either Colombia or Switzerland will be waiting. While Argentina aim to continue their title defence, Egypt will be looking to produce one of the biggest surprises of the tournament.

Argentina Eye Quarter-Final Spot as Egypt Chase Historic World Cup Upset

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