Supercomputer Predicts Argentina vs Egypt as Messi and Salah Prepare for World Cup Showdown
- Opta's supercomputer gives Argentina a 69.1% chance of defeating Egypt in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash
- Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah are set for a blockbuster showdown, with one superstar guaranteed to exit the tournament
- Both Lionel Scaloni and Hossam Hassan praised each other's teams ahead of the knockout encounter while highlighting the qualities of Messi and Salah
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Argentina and Egypt are set to meet in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on July 7, with kick-off scheduled for 4pm GMT.
The highly anticipated knockout clash will see two of football's biggest stars, Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah, go head-to-head, knowing that one of them will see their World Cup journey come to an end.
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Opta's supercomputer strongly backs Argentina
According to The Analyst, Opta's supercomputer has predicted Argentina to comfortably progress to the quarter-finals after running 25,000 simulations of the Round of 16 encounter.
The defending world champions were given a 69.1% chance of defeating Egypt.
Meanwhile, Egypt's chances of causing an upset stand at just 12.3%, while the possibility of the match finishing level after 90 minutes was calculated at 18.5%, meaning another extra-time battle could be on the cards.
Argentina had to work hard to reach the Round of 16 after Cape Verde pushed Lionel Scaloni's side into extra time before eventually falling to a 3-2 defeat.
Egypt also endured a gruelling knockout contest, becoming the second remaining African nation in the tournament after defeating Australia in a penalty shootout following an intense 120-minute encounter.
Hossam Hassan's side will become the third African nation Argentina have faced at this year's World Cup after victories over Algeria in the group stage and Cape Verde in the previous round.
Scaloni and Hassan praise each other's teams
The two nations have met only twice previously.
Argentina recorded a 6-0 victory during the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam before beating Egypt 2-0 in an international friendly in Cairo in 2008.
Ahead of their latest meeting, both coaches spoke respectfully about the challenge awaiting their teams, while singling out Mohamed Salah and Lionel Messi as the standout players in each squad.
Scaloni praised Egypt's quality and admitted Argentina would have to be fully prepared.
"We are on alert just like we were before the match against Cabo Verde. Egypt is also a good rival. It's a very good team. They have important players and a coach who has been working with them for a while now.
"They play good football and always make it difficult for their rivals. 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."
Hassan also acknowledged Messi's brilliance but stressed that Argentina's entire squad deserves respect.
"Argentina has great players. Of course, they have the legendary Messi, but we do respect all their squad. This is football, and we cannot disrespect our opponent.
"I've been working with my players and preparing them regardless of the colour of the opponent's shirt, or what name they have, and what ranking they have."
Source: YEN.com.gh
