The most decorated nations in South American and African football will lock horns in Atlanta tonight (10:00pm Bangladesh time) as defending world champions and 16-time Copa America winners Argentina take on seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions Egypt for a place in the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Argentina advanced to the knockout stage as Group K champions after winning all three of their group matches. However, the reigning champions were pushed to the brink by World Cup debutants Cabo Verde in the Round of 32, requiring a late own goal in extra time to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory.
Egypt, meanwhile, had to endure an even sterner test to reach the Round of 16 for the first time, overcoming Australia 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a tense 1-1 draw.
The winners will face Switzerland or Colombia in Kansas City on July 11.
Image
HIGHLIGHTS
**Argentina and Egypt will meet at the World Cup for the first time.
**Their last meeting came in a 2008 friendly in Cairo, where Argentina won 2-0 through goals from Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Burdisso. Lionel Messi missed the match through injury.
**Argentina are on an eight-match winning streak against African opposition at the World Cup, including victories over Algeria (3-0) and Cape Verde (3-2) at this tournament. No nation has ever beaten three African teams at a single World Cup.
**The defending champions have won their Round-of-16 match at each of the last five FIFA World Cups. Italy are the only defending champions to be eliminated at this stage, losing 2-0 to France in 1986.
**Egypt have scored eight and conceded nine goals across their last six World Cup matches.
**If Messi scores against Egypt, he will become only the sixth player to score in each of his country's first five matches at a World Cup, after Just Fontaine (1958), Jairzinho (1970), Gerd Müller (1970), Rivaldo (2002) and James Rodríguez (2014).
**Argentina have scored at least twice in each of their last 10 World Cup matches. Another two-goal outing would see them join Uruguay (1930-1954) as the only nations to score two or more goals in 11 consecutive World Cup games.
**Salah has created 16 chances at this World Cup. Two more would see him equal Kevin-Prince Boateng's record of 18 for an African player at a single edition, set for Ghana in 2010.
Image
