Salah v Messi: Egypt eye first World Cup meeting of two modern greats vs Argentina

Mohamed Salah and Lionel Messi will finally meet on the international stage on Tuesday when Egypt face world champions Argentina in the last 16 of the World Cup in Atlanta. It will be the first time the two modern greats have faced each other while representing their countries, having previously met twice in the Champions League with Roma and Liverpool.

According to the Guardian, Egypt reached this stage after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Australia in Dallas on Friday, with Salah’s own scuffed spot-kick helping seal the win. The former Liverpool forward had missed in his previous two shootouts for Egypt, including the World Cup qualifying play-off defeat to Senegal four years ago.

“I decided last minute. I am more experienced than others and I wanted to give them confidence,” Salah said, as quoted by the Guardian. “I don’t know if it’s my last World Cup, but I had to do it. Today was one of the best days of my life.”

A dream tie for Salah

Salah had initially declined to discuss the prospect of facing Messi’s Argentina “out of respect” while Cape Verde’s tie with the world champions was still to be settled. But when asked who he would most like to face if the tournament proves to be his World Cup swansong, he had no doubts, replying simply: “Messi.”

The two forwards have crossed paths twice before at club level, first when Salah was at Roma in 2015 and again four years later in Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final first leg defeat at the Camp Nou, a tie Liverpool famously overturned at Anfield despite Salah missing the second leg through concussion.

Egypt’s national team director, Ibrahim Hassan, was bullish about his side’s chances against Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina, who according to the Guardian have lost five of the 100 matches Scaloni has overseen in seven years in charge.

“We aren’t focusing on Messi,” Hassan said, as reported by the Guardian. “We tell the players to go out there, play their game and block out the stature of who they are up against. They might have Messi, but we have Mohamed Salah – and we have 26 Messis of our own.”

Fitness and fatigue concerns

There are lingering concerns over Salah’s condition after he was withdrawn against Iran in the group stage with a hamstring strain. He was seen out walking with teammates in downtown Atlanta on Sunday, having arrived a day before Argentina, who flew in later following a gruelling extra-time contest against Cape Verde in Florida.

Former Manchester City forward Sergio Agüero, who won 101 caps for Argentina, flagged the short turnaround as a worry for Scaloni’s side. “What worries me now is that there are only four days to rest, travel,” Agüero said, quoted by the Guardian. “Many players were suffering from cramps and now you play Egypt, who are also a very physically strong team. They have a little more quality at the front than Cape Verde.”

Egypt will hope to exploit the same weaknesses Cape Verde exposed in Argentina’s experienced defence, with Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush offering an additional attacking threat despite his own inconsistent form at the tournament. Barcelona B striker Hamza Abdelkarim, tipped as Salah’s eventual successor, has also come off the bench in every Egypt match so far.

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