Argentina's Coach Scaloni Confirms: Messi Is Fit for Quarter-Final Against Egypt

The opponent is the Egypt national team, the next African side to face the South Americans. The focus is particularly on Egypt's star Mohamed Salah, whom Scaloni explicitly praised: "And we are looking forward to Salah. It will be a good game." For the Argentine team, the task is to recover after the intense match against Cape Verde and to reconnect with their own style of play.

Egypt as the Next Opponent

Against World Cup newcomers Cape Verde, the Argentinians narrowly avoided being eliminated in regular time and had to go the full distance. The result of 3:2 after extra time was hard-won, and the team now looks ahead to the upcoming duel with corresponding tension. Scaloni also warned of the strengths of the next opponent: "They have a completely different style of play. They make it very difficult for the opponent." The Egyptians, however, did not need any additional motivation, the Argentine coach added.

A central theme of Argentina's preparations is avoiding counterattacks, which had repeatedly caused problems for the defending champions in the round of 16. "We absolutely have to avoid the counterattacks we conceded against Cape Verde," Scaloni said. Against the technically gifted and tactically disciplined Egyptians, who have players like Salah in attack, such transition moments could once again prove decisive.

Messi at 39 at the Center

For Messi personally, the match represents another test of endurance in an already tight tournament schedule. At 39, the captain is among the oldest players in the Argentine squad, yet remains a guaranteed starter. His fitness is therefore of particular importance, as Argentina will depend on its leader in the further course of the tournament if the title from the previous year is to be successfully defended.

The duel between Messi and Salah, the two most prominent attacking players of their teams, has electrified the football world for days. It is also a meeting of two distinguished club careers wearing the jerseys of their national teams. Scaloni, however, tried to downplay the personal focus somewhat in favor of team performance, emphasizing that Egypt is more than just its superstar.

Outlook on the Duel in Atlanta

Kickoff for the match is on Tuesday in Atlanta. Following the narrow round-of-16 match, Argentina enters the game as defending champions under the pressure of being the favorite. Egypt takes the field without the label of an underdog and has shown in the tournament so far that it can hold its own against stronger opponents. Should Argentina win, the semi-final would be next – and Messi would have taken another step toward defending the title.

Until then, the main task for Lionel Scaloni's team is to draw lessons from the round of 16 and to play with concentration from the start against Egypt. The fact that Messi is able to play is the most important piece of news from the Argentine camp ahead of the match.