Read 3 minutes7 Jul 2026 05:39 PM IST
Defending champions Argentina will face seven-time Africa Cup of Nations winners Egypt in a FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 clash at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Tuesday. Fresh off a 3-2 win over inspirational newcomers Cape Verde in the Round of 32, the South American side will face a tough test against an Egyptian side led by captain and talisman Mohamed Salah. After a highly competitive 1-1 draw, Egypt defeated Australia 4-2 on penalties to book their place in the Round of 16 for the first time.
Ahead of their highly anticipated first World Cup meeting, the two sides had only met twice before at international level, both contests going in Argentina’s favour. Their most recent meeting was a friendly in 2008.
The game was played on 26 March at the Cairo International Stadium in the Nasr City district of East Cairo. The match drew a crowd of approximately 45,000 fans, as Alfio Basile’s Argentina entered as FIFA’s top-ranked team, while Egypt successfully defended their AFCON crown. Lionel Messi could not play at all due to injury.
Argentina started on the front foot and just one minute in, midfielder Lucho Gonzalez missed a chance from close range. As the game progressed, with 12 minutes on the clock, Maxi Rodriguez saw a chance and chipped Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary, but captain Hany Said made a perfectly timed goal-line clearance with his header. The first half was equally competitive, with both sides trying for breakthroughs, but the score remained level at the break.
They came out more clearly in the second half as Egypt took control of the game until the first quarter. They had their first big chance when right-back Ahmed Fathi brought down midfielder Mohamed Abutrika in the box. The playmaker had a wonderful chance to put his side ahead but shot narrowly wide, allowing manager Hassan Shehata to show his emotions on the touchline.
In the 65th minute, midfielder Fernando Gago saw Atletico Madrid forward Sergio Aguero break past the Egyptian defence. A brilliant ball from Gago found Aguero, who took the first touch before unleashing a clinical shot into the left corner past El-Hadary. Argentina lead 1-0.
With five minutes of normal time remaining, Egypt pushed for an equalizer when the visitors earned a free kick in the right channel of the attacking half. Winger Maxi Rodriguez came forward and whipped a deep cross into the box. Inter Milan defender Nicolas Berdiso was completely unmarked by the Egyptian defense as he timed his run perfectly and guided a looping header past El-Hadari, who was trapped in the opposite corner of the net. The second goal sealed the game, as Argentina took the lead with a 2–0 win on opposition soil.
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Their second meeting was at the 1928 Olympics, where Argentina won 6–0 at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam.
Lionel Messi has entered the tournament in incredible form, currently leading the World Cup Golden Boot race with seven goals alongside France’s Kylian Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland. The game is definitely exciting.
Written by Madhav Sachdeva, intern at Online Sports Desk