Argentina vs. Egypt: Football icons Lionel Messi, Mohamed Salah prepare for World Cup battle

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup quarter-final betwixt Argentina and Egypt, Sports Mole's Football Editor looks astatine the upcoming conflict betwixt Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah.

Matt Law, Football Editor: 'Salah is an icon of Egyptian football'

It is lone the 3rd clip they volition stock a pitch. This fixture has lone been played doubly earlier astatine planetary level - the archetypal clip was successful 1928, with the lone different gathering being a 2008 friendly, which Argentina won. 

Where Salah sits among all-time players is an absorbing statement - helium is astir apt successful the apical 20 of each time. He is not successful that elite people with Ronaldo, Maradona, and Pele, but has had an unthinkable career. 

His champion crippled of the tourney was against New Zealand successful the radical signifier - 1 extremity and 1 assist. 

His show against Australia was absorbing - helium struggled successful the archetypal fractional but came to the fore successful the 2nd half. 

He ended with beardown statistics, and that Panenka punishment successful the shootout volition beryllium an iconic World Cup moment. Two shots, 5 chances created, and 3 palmy dribbles successful that lucifer showed conscionable however large an power helium had connected Egypt getting through. 

Salah is an icon of Egyptian football, African football, and satellite football. His vocation has been fabulous, though not successful the aforesaid stratosphere arsenic Messi and Ronaldo. 

Things went somewhat incorrect for him astatine Liverpool and the mode it came to an extremity was not ideal. But helium has had a decent World Cup truthful far. Marmoush has recovered it hard though. 

Outside of Salah, determination is nary attacking subordinate truly lasting retired for Egypt. When you play the amended teams successful the second stages, that becomes a problem. If picking a winner, Messi edges it - but it volition beryllium an absorbing battle.