Argentina vs Egypt: Can Messi's Team Overcome Salah's Challenge in Do-or-Die FIFA World Cup Match?

Argentina is all set to take on Egypt in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Tuesday night, Indian time. If Lionel Messi's team wins this match, they will move one step closer to winning their second consecutive World Cup. This is the goal they will be playing for.

FIFA World Cup 2026: It's Lionel Messi vs. Mohamed Salah. This is the main attraction of the Argentina vs. Egypt Round of 16 match at the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be played on Tuesday night, Indian time. Argentina's head coach, Lionel Scaloni, is expected to set up his team in a 4-3-3 formation. Supporting Messi will be players like Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Rodrigo De Paul. Their plan will be to go on an all-out attack and try to keep the Egyptian players pinned in their own half.

On the other hand, Egypt's head coach, Hossam Hassan, will likely focus on a counter-attacking strategy. Omar Marmoush will be up front with Salah to lead the attack. This clash of attack versus counter-attack could make for a very exciting match.

Argentina Needs to Fix Its Defence Problems

In their Round of 32 match in this World Cup, Argentina let in two goals against Cabo Verde even after leading twice. They eventually managed a 3-2 win. While Cabo Verde's amazing fight is being praised, Argentina's defensive issues are now a major topic of discussion. This was Cabo Verde's first time ever qualifying for the World Cup finals. In comparison, Egypt is a much stronger and more experienced team. Salah has had great success in club football, and now he wants to take his country far in the World Cup. If this star player has a good game, Argentina's defence could be in serious trouble.

They Must Reduce Their Reliance on Messi

In this World Cup, Argentina's biggest strength is also their biggest weakness: Messi. The team is always looking to him to score goals, and other players are not taking enough responsibility. So far, Messi has scored in every single match. But if he gets marked out of a game, Argentina could find themselves in a difficult spot.