Lionel Messi and Argentina dodged a bullet against Cabo Verde. Now they get an Egyptian side that has already made history and isn’t afraid to chase more.
The defending champions needed 111 minutes and an own goal to survive a Round of 32 matchup against a team playing its first World Cup. Cabo Verde pressed high, attacked the wings with pace, and for long stretches made Argentina look ordinary. That blueprint is still fresh in everyone’s mind as Tuesday’s round-of-16 clash approaches.
Messi’s magic and Argentina’s messiness
Argentina’s group stage was smoother than that final score suggested, but the knockout opener was chaos. Messi scored a spectacular goal and delivered the cross that forced the winner, but when he got shut down for stretches, La Albiceleste struggled to create. Lionel Scaloni’s team has talent everywhere, but the engine still runs through one guy, and Cabo Verde showed what happens when you make that guy’s life hard.
Argentina hasn’t missed the Round of 16 since 2002. That streak isn’t in danger, but the quality of their performances is a real question. Scaloni has to figure out how to keep this team dangerous in the moments Messi doesn’t have the ball, because Egypt is going to make him work for every touch.
Egypt is already playing with house money
Mohamed Salah’s Egypt reached the knockout stage for the first time in program history, then beat Australia on penalties after a tense 1-1 draw. That’s two firsts in one tournament for a nation that had never won a World Cup group game before this year. Every win from here is uncharted territory, but there’s a freedom that comes with that.
Egypt will be without left-back Ahmed Fatouh and center-back Mohamed Abdelmoneim. That thins out a backline that has already been tested. Hossam Hassan will likely lean on Yasser Ibrahim, Ramy Rabia and Mohamed Hany, who have played every match so far. Karim Hafez steps in for Fatouh. Mohanad Lasheen is back from suspension and should pair with Marwan Attia in central midfield. In attack, Emam Ashour runs things behind Salah and Omar Marmoush, with Mostafa Ziko at striker.
The blueprint is there for Egypt to steal this
Cabo Verde proved that Argentina is vulnerable if you play them straight up and don’t sit back. Press them. Attack the wings. Make Messi defend. Egypt has the personnel to try the same thing. Salah and Marmoush can stretch Argentina’s fullbacks, and if the defense gets preoccupied with those two, Ashour could find room in midfield to do damage.
The risk for Egypt is dropping too deep and letting Argentina control the pace. Cabo Verde’s approach worked because they stayed aggressive for 90-plus minutes, not because they absorbed pressure. Egypt will need that same boldness. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain. A quarterfinal spot is on the line, and the winner plays back in Atlanta on July 15 for a chance at the semis.
These two teams have only met once: a 2008 friendly Argentina won 2-0 on goals from Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Burdisso. There’s no competitive history to study. This is new ground for both sides, and the stakes could not be more different. For Argentina, it’s another step toward defending the crown they won in Qatar. For Egypt, it would be the single biggest result in the nation’s World Cup history.
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