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Rabat – Defending champions Argentina face Egypt in a highly anticipated Round of 16 clash at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking a high-stakes knockout stage meeting at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
La Albiceleste marched into the knockout stages after sweeping through Group J with a perfect record before surviving a breathtaking, 120-minute Round of 32 thriller against Cape Verde. Spearheaded by Lionel Messi, who recently extended his tournament record to 20 goals, Lionel Scaloni’s squad is fully rested and determined to assert their dominance. They know that a statement win in Atlanta is vital to keeping their back-to-back title ambitions completely alive.
Egypt, meanwhile, makes history by qualifying for the World Cup Round of 16 for the first time in the country’s history. The Pharaohs booked their ticket following a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Australia after fighting to a 1-1 draw in Dallas. Despite missing key defensive assets in Fatouh and Abdelmonem, manager Hossam Hassan fields a formidable unit led by Mohamed Salah, who has already created a tournament-high 16 chances. The African side enters this match fully aware that sharp transitional play and defensive resilience will be crucial to stunning the reigning world champions.
With the stakes at an all-time high, both managers have named powerhouse lineups engineered to secure a legendary spot in the tournament’s quarter-finals.
Team tactical lineups
Argentina
- Goalkeeper: Emiliano MartÃnez
- Defenders: Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro MartÃnez, Nicolas Tagliafico
- Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Leandro Paredes, Thiago Almada
- Forwards: Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez
Egypt
- Goalkeeper: Mostafa Shobeir
- Defenders: Mohamed Hany, Rami Rabia, Yasser Ibrahim, Karim Hafez
- Midfielders: Mohanad Lasheen, Marwan Attia, Emam Ashour
- Forwards: Haissem Hassan, Mostafa Ziko, Mohamed Salah
