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Messi vs Salah: Can Egypt beat Argentina in biggest World Cup shock?
On paper, history and the numbers favour Argentina. Yet this World Cup has been anything but predictable
- PUBLISHED: Tue 7 Jul 2026, 12:31 PM UPDATED: Tue 7 Jul 2026, 2:52 PM
It will be their first time sharing a pitch — Mohammed Salah and Lionel Messi, two of football's finest players, are set to meet on the football field when Egypt plays against Argentina in a World Cup knockout match in Atlanta on Tuesday, July 7. Both teams will seek a place in the unpredictable tournament's quarter-finals.
For Egypt, seven-time winner of the Africa Cup of Nations, they have never made it this far in the World Cup before. This generation of players, led by their popular coach, Egypt's former forward Hossam Hassan, has already made history by reaching the round of last 16. In the 2022 World Cup, Egypt did not even qualify to the tournament, which was hosted by Qatar. They did qualify for the 2018 World Cup held in Russia, but were eliminated in the group stage.
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The question now is: Can they go a step further and dethrone Messi, pulling off the seemingly impossible against the reigning world champions? On paper, history and the numbers favour Argentina. The world champions are ranked second in the FIFA rankings, while Egypt sits 24th. However, this World Cup has delivered some of the most surprising twists and unexpected outcomes in football so far, with Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Brazil eliminated from the knockout round and Norway making it to the quarter-finals.
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Messi vs Salah
There is no doubt that Messi and Salah represent two of the greatest footballers of their generation, but their career records differ in scale and international success
Messi, dubbed by many as football's magician and the GOAT (greatest of all time), has built a historic legacy, winning the Fifa World Cup in 2022, two Copa América titles, four Uefa Champions League trophies and a record eight Ballon d’Or awards, while scoring more than 900 career goals.
This World Cup, Messi has scored in every Argentina match he has played so far, including a hat-trick against Algeria, two goals against Austria, and further strikes against Jordan and Cape Verde, taking his tally to seven goals in the tournament.
Salah, meanwhile, has established himself as one of Africa’s greatest players, winning the Uefa Champions League and Premier League with Liverpool, claiming three Premier League Golden Boots and becoming Egypt’s all-time leading scorer.
Salah has not matched Messi’s number of goals at this World Cup, but he has delivered when Egypt needed him most, scoring the goal that secured their historic first World Cup victory and inspiring the Pharaohs’ run to the knockout stage.
While Messi’s trophy cabinet and individual honours place him among football’s all-time greats, Salah’s achievements have made him a national icon and one of the most successful Arab and African players in history.
Are Argentina invincible?
If we look at Argentina's last match against Cape Verde, the answer is actually: No. Argentina survived a real scare from the African team, who played for the first time in the World Cup this year. Cape Verde came up from behind twice, before Diney Borges' own goal in the 111th minute edged Messi's team through. Messi played the full 120 minutes against Cape Verde and Argentina are tired. The last match clearly exposed their defensive weakness.
When asked about the game against Egypt, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni told a packed press conference: "I think this World Cup is very tricky for everyone, it seems there is no clear favourite."
The Argentina boss added, "Egypt is also a good rival. It's a very good team. They have important players and a coach that has been working with them for a while now. They play good football and always make it difficult for their rivals.
"Salah is a great player — it will be a pleasure to face him. Our team knows how to face these great players and we always work hard for it."
Scaloni also hinted at difficult circumstances players face this tournament: "This World Cup is difficult. The travel, the heat, the pitches, the grass... sometimes, the ball doesn't move well. There are a lot of factors that make it hard to really show your superiority."
On the other hand, Hossam Hassan said he had been preparing his players "regardless of the colour of the opponent's shirt, or what name they have, and what ranking they have".
"This is a World Cup, a great opportunity to prove ourselves and that we belong here," he said.
What Egypt needs to do to win
For Egypt to win this game, they must overcome not only Argentina’s quality but also the psychological challenge of facing Lionel Messi. They should focus on the pitch and draw inspiration from Cape Verde, or Morocco — another Arab team who advanced to the quarter finals this time and made it to the semi-finals of the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar.
The Pharaohs also need to overcome fatal mistakes that cost them a lot this tournament. Their player, Mohammed Hany, scored two own goals this World Cup, one against Belgium and another against Australia.
To beat Argentina, Egypt must find a way to keep Messi in check. Limiting his influence, space and ability to create chances will be crucial if the Pharaohs are to pull off one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.
Eliminating Argentina from the World Cup would be a fairytale moment that few would have dared to imagine. It would also be another landmark achievement for African football, following Cape Verde’s heroic performance against Messi and his teammates, and yet another reminder that with careful planning, determination and a fearless approach, the impossible can become reality on the biggest stage.
Now, only time will tell whether Egypt can rise to the challenge, stun the world and end Messi’s World Cup journey — just one day after his long-time rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, left the pitch in tears following Portugal’s defeat to Spain. The wait is almost over, with Egypt’s clash against Argentina set to kick off at 8pm UAE time.
(With inputs from Reuters and AFP)
Yasmin Hussein is an Assistant Digital Editor who believes that every news story carries a human element. Her motto is 'get it first, but first get it right'.