Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah will face each other on Tuesday in Atlanta for a place in the World Cup quarter‑final – a meeting of two of the game’s greatest players, both nearing the end of their international careers.
Messi, 39, has already suggested this will be his last World Cup. Salah, 34, is still hoping to play in 2030. For Argentina, the word on every fan’s lips is ‘bicampeonato’ – back‑to‑back world titles – but the question nobody wants to ask is what happens when Messi retires. Every match, including this one, brings the country closer to losing its greatest icon.
“Messi and Salah meet in World Cup last 16 as Argentina face Egypt in Atlanta on Tuesday.”
The reigning world champions swept through Group J with wins against Algeria (3‑0) and Jordan (3‑1), but their round‑of‑32 tie against debutants Cape Verde required extra time and a late own goal in the 111th minute to avoid a massive upset. Messi has been playing as if he were 25, scoring seven goals so far and setting a record of scoring in eight consecutive World Cup matches. Yet Argentine journalists have criticised the team for becoming “Messi‑dependent” again – a reliance that manager Lionel Scaloni had previously been praised for breaking.
For Salah, this World Cup represents a different narrative. In his third tournament for Egypt, he has finally reached the knockout rounds for the first time, and Egypt itself is in the last 16 for the first time. The Pharaohs navigated Group G, highlighted by a 3‑1 win over New Zealand, then made history in the round of 32 by winning their first‑ever World Cup knockout match – a penalty shootout against Australia after a 1‑1 draw. Salah’s Panenka penalty was pivotal. His career has been marked by near‑misses: Egypt lost Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2017 and 2021, and Salah has had public disagreements with the Egyptian Football Association over image rights, travel and management.
Tuesday’s match at Atlanta Stadium (5pm UK time) will decide who advances to the quarter‑finals. For Argentina, victory is another step towards a feat only Italy and Brazil have managed – back‑to‑back World Cup titles. For Egypt, it would be the biggest moment in Salah’s national‑team career. Both teams know that for their iconic captains, time is running out.