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Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah will lead Argentina and Egypt into a high-stakes World Cup last-16 meeting on Tuesday, with the defending champions seeking a quarterfinal place and Messi looking to move ahead in the Golden Boot race.
The match in Atlanta brings together two of football's most recognizable names, but Argentina arrives knowing it must raise its level after being pushed hard by Cape Verde in the previous knockout round.
Argentina reached the last 16 after surviving a major scare against World Cup debutants Cape Verde, advancing through an own goal by Diney Borges in extra time. The match lasted 120 minutes, adding to concerns over fatigue before another demanding knockout tie.
Coach Lionel Scaloni said Argentina was approaching Egypt with the same level of caution it had shown before facing Cape Verde. He described Egypt as a strong side with important players and a settled coach, saying the team played good football and made things difficult for every opponent.
Scaloni also confirmed that Messi, now 39, is fit to start despite playing the full extra-time match in the previous round.
The meeting also comes with Messi locked in one of the tournament's tightest scoring battles. The Golden Boot, awarded to the World Cup's top scorer, is currently being contested by Messi, France's Kylian Mbappe and Norway's Erling Haaland, who each have seven goals.
Mbappe leads the race on assists, while Messi remains one goal ahead of him in the all-time World Cup scoring chart, with 20 goals. That means the Argentina captain's performance against Egypt could shape both the current tournament race and the broader historical record.
Egypt enters the match unbeaten and with the chance to move beyond the round of 16 for the first time in its World Cup history. The team reached this stage by eliminating Australia on penalties, a shootout used to decide knockout matches when teams remain level after extra time.
Salah, Egypt's main attacking figure, has scored once in four matches so far and is currently without a club after leaving Liverpool. Even so, Scaloni called him a great player and said Argentina had prepared to deal with opponents of his level.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said his players had been prepared without focusing on the reputation, ranking or shirt color of the opponent. He described the World Cup as a major opportunity for Egypt to show it belongs at this level.
In Vancouver, Switzerland and Colombia will meet in another last-16 tie between unbeaten teams. Colombia, backed by large numbers of yellow-clad supporters, has been viewed as a dark horse after conceding only one goal so far.
Its attack is led by Luis Diaz and James Rodriguez, who won the Golden Boot at the 2014 World Cup. Switzerland, meanwhile, is trying to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 1954, when it hosted the tournament, after beating Algeria 2-0 in the last 32.
The winners of Tuesday's matches will join a quarterfinal field that already includes France, Morocco, Norway, England, Spain and Belgium.
Spain ended Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup run by beating Portugal 1-0 on Monday, while Belgium defeated the United States 4-1. The U.S. defeat means none of the three host nations remain in the tournament, following earlier exits for Canada and Mexico.
The buildup to Belgium's win was marked by controversy after U.S. forward Folarin Balogun was cleared to play despite being sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The decision came after President Donald Trump personally called FIFA President Gianni Infantino and urged him to review Balogun's punishment.
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