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Lionel Messi and Argentina will face Egypt in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at 12:00 pm ET from Atlanta Stadium.
Argentina went undefeated in their group stage, beating Algeria 3-0 in their first match, Austria 2-0 in their second match and Jordan 3-1 in their third match. In the round of 32, Cinderella Cape Verde gave the defending champions everything they could muster, but Argentina won 3-2 in extra time. Lionel Messi is tied with Norwegian Erling Haaland and Frenchman Kylian Mbappé at the top of the rankings. Golden Boot Racescoring seven goals so far in the tournament.
Egypt drew 1-1 with Belgium in their first match, beat New Zealand 3-1 in their second match, drew 1-1 with Iran in their third match and drew 1-1 with Australia before advancing on penalty kicks in the round of 32.
Below are details on how to watch.
How to watch Argentina vs. Egypt
Preview Argentina vs. Egypt
Lionel Messi against Egypt’s last line is the clearest pressure point of this match.
Argentina is still going through Messi, and he is in good shape. Argentina also keeps the ball well and creates a constant flow of attacking sequences, so Messi will likely continue to receive touches in match-deciding spots.
Egypt has enough resilience to make that battle a reality. Mohamed Salah has been their main creator with 15 opportunities created. Egypt’s cross play has been productive enough to score 3 headed goals, meaning they can force Argentina to defend and prevent Messi from living in the final third for the entire match. If Egypt can survive those first touches from Messi and make Argentina defend the wide serve and second balls, the game will remain tense.
Watch the first stretch when Messi starts to find gaps around the box, because that will tell you if Egypt are containing the best finisher of the tournament or if they are spending the day struggling.
Player to watch
Lionel Messi
Forward
Argentina
It’s hard to think of things that haven’t been said about Messi, but the Inter Miami attacker has already scored in eight consecutive World Cup games. In his career, Messi has contributed 12 goals in the round of 16 of the World Cup. He remains at the center of everything Argentina does, and even at his age, that could be enough for Argentina to win a second consecutive title.
Odds between Argentina and Egypt
Learn more about Argentina vs. Egypt and check out the full FIFA World Cup schedule on FOX Sports!
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