Argentina v Egypt prediction, lineups & tips: World Cup 2026 round of 16

Lionel Messi's Argentina face the biggest test of their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign yet when they meet Egypt in the round of 16 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Tuesday. The reigning champions have won all three group games but were taken to extra time by tournament debutants Cape Verde in the last 32, scraping through 3-2 after 120 gruelling minutes in Miami. For Mohamed Salah and the Pharaohs, this represents Egypt's first-ever World Cup knockout fixture, and they arrive having needed penalties to overcome Australia just four days ago.

Argentina topped their group with three wins from three, scoring eight goals and conceding just one, and carry an average of 2.75 goals per game into this round. But head coach Lionel Scaloni has been openly frustrated by the tournament structure. After the Cape Verde win, his 100th match in charge, Scaloni said the schedule was "very difficult to understand", criticising the fact that sides enjoyed nearly six days between games during the group stage only to be given barely three and a half days once the knockout rounds began. Training was also disrupted on Saturday when a storm hit Miami, forcing the session to be cancelled.

Messi played the full 120 minutes against Cape Verde and suffered a blow to the head during the match, though he remained on the pitch throughout. The 38-year-old leads the tournament's top-scorer charts with seven goals and has been the defining player of this World Cup. Scaloni acknowledged the physical toll, saying his players were "absolutely knackered" and that "the players are tired because of extra-time, too many minutes, and some cramps. But when they play with their hearts, they can overcome anything."

Egypt finished second in their group, a draw with Belgium, a win over New Zealand and a draw with Iran, and have not conceded more than one goal in any game. Fatigue is also a factor for the Pharaohs: they needed a penalty shootout to eliminate Australia after a 1-1 draw in Dallas, and have averaged just 1.5 goals per game across this tournament. Their xG of 1.29 per game tells a modest attacking story, though Salah and Omar Marmoush give them the quality to threaten any defence.

Argentina's form over their last four fixtures reads W-W-W-W, with wins over Algeria (3-0), Austria (2-0), Jordan (3-1) and Cape Verde (3-2 AET). Their xG for of 2.03 per game points to genuine attacking quality, and they have kept clean sheets in two of those four matches. Egypt's last four reads D-W-D-D. They managed just one win, a 3-1 result against New Zealand, and have been involved in BTTS outcomes in all four of those matches, with both sides scoring in each game. Their xG against of 1.36 per match suggests they have been fortunate at times to concede only one goal per game.

Scaloni told reporters after the Cape Verde win: "We are excited like everyone else but we have an opponent to respect. The one who loses goes home and we have to take that into account. Very close matches are being played, it's not going to be easy."

Argentina v Egypt kicks off at 17:00 BST on Tuesday 7 July 2026. The match is live on ITV1 in the UK, with a stream available via ITVX. In the US, the game is on Fox Sports.