Argentina vs Egypt Predicted Lineups 2026 World Cup – A blockbuster match will take place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as two global superstars, Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah, go head-to-head.

Argentina enter the match as the defending champions, while Egypt aim to continue their historic journey in this year's tournament.

The match is scheduled to take place at Atlanta Stadium on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. local time.

Defending champions Argentina overcame a difficult challenge against World Cup debutants Cape Verde in the Round of 32. Meanwhile, Egypt had to rely on a penalty shootout to eliminate Australia in their first knockout-stage match.

Now, before the match begins, take a look at Mansion Sports' predicted Argentina vs Egypt 2026 World Cup lineups below!

Team News Ahead of the Match

Argentina

As many expected, Argentina entered their match against Cape Verde as overwhelming favorites according to various World Cup betting sites.

However, in reality, La Albiceleste had to work extremely hard against the determined resistance of the Blue Sharks, who equalized twice and forced the Round of 32 match into extra time.

In the end, the defending champions received assistance from an own goal by Diony Borges in the 111th minute.

The goal secured Lionel Scaloni's side a place in the next round while ending Cape Verde's remarkable campaign, despite the debutants managing to register 16 shots against Argentina's goal but still failing to overcome La Albiceleste's dominance throughout the 120 minutes.

Argentina have an outstanding record whenever World Cup matches go into extra time. Of the 12 matches they have played beyond 90 minutes, they have won 10, consisting of four victories without penalties and six wins via penalty shootouts.

Although the Round of 32 match caused considerable tension among Argentina's supporters, the team are currently enjoying an eight-match winning streak across all competitions.

In every one of those victories, Argentina have scored at least two goals and have accumulated 11 goals in four matches in North America so far.

Should they eliminate Egypt in the Round of 16, Argentina will face either Switzerland or Colombia in the next round.

La Albiceleste also boast an impressive record at this stage, having won seven of their last nine World Cup Round of 16 matches. Their only eliminations came in the 1994 and 2018 editions.

Egypt

Unlike Argentina, who are well accustomed to knockout football, Egypt are currently celebrating a historic achievement.

Hossam Hassan's side guided The Pharaohs to the World Cup Round of 16 for the first time in 92 years, marking the nation's first achievement earned through successfully progressing from the group stage.

At the 1934 FIFA World Cup, Egypt entered directly into the knockout stage because the tournament featured only 16 teams. Now, after advancing through the group stage, they have once again made history with a dramatic victory over Australia in Arlington.

Egypt were forced into a penalty shootout against Australia and maintained a perfect conversion rate from the penalty spot.

One of the most memorable moments came when Mohamed Salah confidently executed a Panenka penalty, while Australia's Harry Souttar and Lucas Herrington both failed to convert, securing Egypt's progression.

Mohamed Salah's tears after the match reflected just how significant the victory was for Egypt.

Now, they must quickly move on from the celebrations and focus on improving their defensive line before facing the defending champions.

Hossam Hassan's side have now conceded at least one goal in six consecutive matches after previously recording three successive clean sheets.

Egypt also have a poor record against Argentina. In the only previous meeting between the two teams, they suffered a 2-0 defeat in a 2008 friendly thanks to goals from Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Burdisso.

Lionel Messi missed that match because of a muscle injury, but the 39-year-old is now fully prepared to lead Argentina in this prestigious encounter against Mohamed Salah.

Argentina vs Egypt Predicted Lineups 2026 World Cup

Argentina (4-3-3)

Regarding Argentina's squad, the players are certain to be experiencing fatigue after playing a two-hour match against Cape Verde.

Nahuel Molina, Enzo Fernandez, and Facundo Medina, who suffered injuries during the Round of 32 match, were also unable to participate fully in the recovery session the following day.

Medina's issue is believed to be nothing more than cramp, so it is not considered too concerning. However, Nicolas Tagliafico has been prepared in case a change is required at left-back.

Meanwhile, Nico Gonzalez remains doubtful after reportedly suffering an ankle injury.

Lionel Messi achieved another milestone during the Round of 32 match. He became the first player to score seven goals in two different FIFA World Cup editions.

In addition, Messi also set the record for the most goal involvements in World Cup knockout-stage history with 12 goal contributions, before Kylian Mbappe equaled the record a few hours later against Paraguay.

Egypt (4-4-2)

Meanwhile, regarding Egypt's squad, their penalty shootout victory over Australia also brought some disappointing news.

Left-back Karim Hafez was substituted in the 80th minute, and conflicting reports continue to emerge regarding his condition. Some reports suggest he was merely fatigued, while others indicate he sustained a minor hamstring injury.

If Hafez is unavailable, it would be a significant setback for Egypt, especially when attempting to contain Lionel Messi's threat from the right side.

The other left-back, Ahmed Fatouh, also remains uncertain after previously missing the Australia match because of a thigh injury.

Egypt's defensive concerns are further compounded by the condition of central defender Mohamed Abdelmonem.

The Nice player missed the Australia match while recovering from the ankle injury he suffered against Iran during the group stage. His availability remains uncertain.

The positive news is that experienced midfielder Mohanad Lasheen is available again after serving a suspension for yellow card accumulation during the match against Australia.

This match is expected to be one of the most exciting encounters in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With the presence of two global superstars, Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah, along with the quality of players on both teams, this is a match well worth anticipating.

That concludes the complete information regarding the Argentina vs Egypt Predicted Lineups 2026 World Cup, which can serve as a valuable reference before the match begins.