The 2026 FIFA World Cup enters its knockout stage with one of the most anticipated round of 16 matchups, as defending champions Argentina led by superstar Lionel Messi will square off against Mohamed Salah’s Egypt on Tuesday in Atlanta. The winner of this high-stakes encounter will advance to the quarter-finals and face the victor of the simultaneous last-16 tie between Switzerland and Colombia, held in Vancouver.
Argentina narrowly escaped a stunning upset in their opening knockout match against tournament debutants Cape Verde, scraping through to the round of 16 after an exhausting 120-minute extra time bout, secured only by a late own goal from Diney Borges. Now, Lionel Scaloni’s side is gearing up to face an Egyptian side that has never progressed past the round of 16 in World Cup history, but enters the fixture in confident form after eliminating Australia on penalties in the previous round.
Speaking ahead of the matchup, Argentina manager Scaloni emphasized his side is taking nothing for granted, echoing the focused preparation they brought to the Cape Verde game. “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,” Scaloni told reporters. He added of Egyptian star Salah: “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 confirmed that 39-year-old Messi, who played the full 120 minutes against Cape Verde, is fully fit and will start Tuesday’s clash. Messi enters the game with plenty to play for beyond a quarter-final spot: he currently holds seven tournament goals, tied with France’s Kylian Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot, with Mbappe holding the narrow lead on assists. The two superstars are also neck-and-neck for the title of the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer, with Messi sitting just one goal ahead of Mbappe on 20 career World Cup strikes.
For Egypt, the matchup represents a historic chance to notch a breakthrough result at football’s biggest global tournament. Salah, currently a free agent after departing Liverpool, has only scored once in four matches so far at this World Cup, but remains one of the most dangerous attacking players in the world and a constant threat to Argentina’s backline. Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan said his side has prepared without fear of their opposition’s status, saying “This is a World Cup, a great opportunity to prove ourselves and that we belong here.”
Across the country in Vancouver, the other last-16 fixture on Tuesday will pit unbeaten Switzerland against unbeaten Colombia, with both sides vying for a spot in the quarter-finals. Colombia has been widely tipped as a dark horse contender for the tournament title, backed by thousands of passionate traveling fans, and boasts a stout defensive record that has conceded just one goal through four matches. Their attack is led by star winger Luis Diaz and 2014 Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez, giving the South American side plenty of attacking firepower.
Switzerland, by contrast, have not reached the World Cup quarter-finals since hosting the tournament in 1954, but turned heads with a convincing 2-0 win over Algeria in the previous round to book their spot in the knockout stage. The winner of this tie and the Argentina-Egypt clash will join an already confirmed star-studded quarter-final line-up that includes France, Morocco, Norway, England, Spain and Belgium.
In other late Monday results, Spain dashed Cristiano Ronaldo’s final World Cup hopes with a 1-0 win over Portugal, while Belgium secured a comfortable 4-1 victory over the United States. The defeat for the US means all three 2026 co-host nations have now been eliminated from the tournament, following earlier exits for Canada and Mexico. The US’ build-up to the Belgium clash was marred by controversy, however, after forward Folarin Balogun was surprisingly cleared to play despite receiving a red card in the final group stage match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Reports later confirmed that the controversial ruling came after United States President Donald Trump personally called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to urge him to review Balogun’s suspension.