Argentina - Egypt: score, highlights and statistics

Argentina face Egypt on 7 July 2026 at 17:00 BST at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The defending champions enter this round with four consecutive wins and Lionel Messi already at 7 goals in the tournament, while Egypt are making their first-ever appearance in the knockout round in 92 years, unbeaten in all four of their 2026 World Cup matches. The only previous meeting between these two sides ended in a 2:0 Argentina win in a 2008 friendly.

Match Info: Argentina vs Egypt

The Round of 16 clash between Argentina and Egypt kicks off on Tuesday, 7 July 2026 at 17:00 BST at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia - making this the first time both nations have ever met at a World Cup.

Where to Watch Argentina vs Egypt?

Viewers in England and Ireland can watch the match on ITV 1, with a free online stream available via ITVX. BBC Radio 5 Live and TalkSport Radio UK also provide live audio commentary, while Scottish fans can tune in to STV Player online or STV Scotland on television.

In the United States, the match is broadcast on FOX and Telemundo, with online streams on Peacock, Fubo TV, and FOX One. Spanish-speaking viewers in the US can follow via Telemundo Deportes En Vivo or SiriusXM FC. Australians can watch on SBS TV or stream via SBS On Demand, while Canadians have TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, RDS, and their respective streaming platforms.

Across the rest of the world, the game is available on DAZN in Japan and Spain, beIN SPORTS CONNECT Arabia throughout the Arab world, ARD Das Erste and MagentaTV in Germany, NRK 1 and NRK Sport in Norway, NPO 1 in the Netherlands, and DIRECTV Sports in most South American countries. South African viewers can catch it on SuperSport Grandstand or DStv Now.

Match between Argentina and Egypt - Preview

The defending world champions face Egypt in a Round of 16 tie that represents a historic milestone for the African side, who have qualified from a World Cup knockout round for the first time in 92 years, and pits Lionel Messi against Mohamed Salah in one of the tournament's most anticipated individual duels.

Argentina have been in dominant form throughout this World Cup: four wins from four, 11 goals scored, and only 3 conceded. Messi leads the tournament's scoring charts with 7 goals going into this match, having netted the decisive extra-time winner against Cape Verde in the Round of 32 after the minnows twice levelled the score. Their only moment of genuine vulnerability came in the 111th minute, when Diney Borges' own goal settled the tie at 3:2 - but Scaloni's side always found a way through.

Egypt, on the other hand, have fashioned one of the great World Cup underdog stories of recent years. Having waited 92 years to win a single game at the tournament, they have now advanced to the Round of 16 thanks to a group stage win over New Zealand (3:1) and two draws, before beating Australia on penalties in the Round of 32 after a 1:1 draw. Salah has either scored or assisted in every one of Egypt's four World Cup matches, and no player at the 2026 World Cup had created more chances than the 34-year-old captain (16, tied with Belgium's Trossard) at the time of the Australia match.

Head-to-Head: Argentina vs Egypt

Argentina and Egypt have met only once in recorded senior international history - a friendly in 2008 that Argentina won 2:0. Tuesday's Round of 16 encounter in Atlanta will be the first competitive match ever played between these two nations.

The complete head-to-head record between Argentina and Egypt:

• 26 March 2008 - International Friendly - Egypt 0:2 Argentina

Argentina - Recent Form

Argentina have won all five of their most recent matches across all competitions, scoring 14 goals and conceding just 3. At the 2026 World Cup specifically, they have won all four games without a single defeat.

The campaign began with a composed 3:0 win over Algeria, followed by a 2:0 victory over Austria and a 3:1 defeat of Jordan, giving them a perfect nine points and a group-stage goal difference of plus-seven. In the Round of 32, Cape Verde pushed them to extra time at 2:2 before an own goal in the 111th minute sealed the 3:2 win. Messi's 7th goal of the tournament came against Cape Verde, and in doing so he became the first player in World Cup history to reach 20 career tournament goals. Scaloni reached 100 matches as Argentina head coach in that game, with a record of 72 wins, 18 draws, and 9 losses - including four major trophies.

Before the tournament, Argentina warmed up with a 3:0 friendly win over Iceland. The depth and clinical finishing that Argentina have shown in 2026 make them a formidable obstacle for any team at this stage of the competition.

Egypt - Recent Form

Egypt are unbeaten in all four of their 2026 World Cup matches, recording one win and three draws, in what is the finest performance by the Pharaohs at any World Cup since their debut in 1934.

Their group stage opened with a battling 1:1 draw against Belgium, where Emam Ashour's superb early strike was cancelled out by a Lukaku-induced own goal. The tournament's defining moment for Egypt came against New Zealand on June 22: trailing 0:1 at half-time, the Pharaohs turned the game around to win 3:1, claiming their first-ever World Cup victory in nine previous attempts. Salah scored and assisted in that match, with Mostafa Saber and Trezeguet also getting on the scoresheet. A 1:1 draw with Iran in the final group game - where a last-minute Iranian goal was ruled out by VAR - sent Egypt through as group runners-up. Against Australia in the Round of 32, Egypt again drew 1:1 after extra time before winning 4:2 on penalties, with Salah coolly converting his spot-kick with a Panenka chip.

Before the World Cup, Egypt fell 1:2 to Brazil in a friendly. That result aside, the Pharaohs have not lost a single match since arriving at this tournament, and Salah - the heart of everything Egypt do - will be driven by a desire to extend his country's extraordinary run.

Facts and Statistics

Argentina and Egypt come from opposite ends of the football world - the two-time World Cup champions from South America against Africa's seven-time continental champions who had to wait until 2026 to win their first game at the tournament. Their one previous meeting, a friendly in 2008, gave almost no indication of what this rivalry could become; Tuesday's knockout clash at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium is as new a fixture as international football can produce.

• Argentina and Egypt have met only once before - a 2:0 Argentina win in an international friendly on 26 March 2008. This Round of 16 will be their first-ever competitive encounter.
• Lionel Messi has scored 7 goals at the 2026 World Cup (through 3 July 2026), making him the all-time World Cup top scorer with 20 career tournament goals - and the leading scorer at this edition of the tournament.
• Egypt reached the Round of 16 of the World Cup for the first time since 1934 - a gap of 92 years - and recorded their first-ever World Cup knockout-stage win by beating Australia on penalties.
• Mohamed Salah has either scored or assisted in every single one of Egypt's four 2026 World Cup matches, and tied for the most chances created at the tournament (16) as of the Round of 32.
• Argentina scored 11 goals across their four 2026 World Cup matches while conceding only 3, and remained unbeaten throughout their first four games of the tournament.