Share<\/a><\/p>\n 9 min: Fernandez sends a ball down the inside-right channel and nearly releases Messi. Rabia ushers him away. But Argentina<\/a> come again, Mac Allister pinging De Paul clear on the right. De Paul makes it to the right-hand edge of the six-yard box, and rolls across for Fernandez \u2026 who somehow sidefoots wide right from a couple of yards! What a preposterous miss! He\u2019s very relieved to see the flag pop up (correctly) for offside.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 7 min: Hassan looked dangerous against Australia, and he starts well here, winning a free kick down the right. Attia sends a ball into the mixer and Argentina<\/a> let it sail all the way across the face of their goal. They get away with that, as there are no red shirts lurking. That\u2019ll give Egypt some hope.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 5 min: Fernandez strips Salah of the ball and makes to launch an attack with Egypt light at the back. But the whistle goes for a generous foul. Fernandez is astounded, but the referee\u2019s word is (these days only usually) final.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a012.08 EDT<\/p>\n 3 min: Messi drops deep and tries to release Tagliafico with a reverse pass down the inside-left channel. He overcooks it. Goal kick. Nobody\u2019s perfect.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 2 min: \u2026 but Fernandez gets back up once the sting of impact subsides. Relief for Argentina<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 1 min: Fernandez goes down having taken a whack on the knee from Hany. An accidental collision but a sore one nonetheless. A bit of concern.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Argentina get the ball rolling. It\u2019s relatively cool under the closed roof.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The teams congregate in the tunnel. Mo Salah clasps friendly hands with Lionel Messi, then warmly hugs his former Liverpool team-mate Alexis Mac Allister. A lovely moment before everyone marches out to battle. A fine atmosphere inside the home of the Atlanta Falcons. Argentina<\/a> are in their famous blue and white stripes, while Egypt wear first-choice red. We\u2019ll be off once the anthems have been sung and coins tossed. Give it five.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Pre-match postbag. \u201cAt last, a game I can actually watch without falling asleep half way through. Well, I say that, but I\u2019m on holiday and have been on the McTinn since lunchtime. Wimbledon\u2019s just not the same since Andy Murray stopped playing, so it\u2019s the World Cup<\/a> all the way for me now. Somebody\u2019s bringing it home, that\u2019s for sure, hopefully it\u2019ll be anyone but England, baby!\u201d \u2013 Simon McMahon<\/p>\n \u201cBe prepared for the following scenario. Belgium team gets deported. USA plays Spain as Belgium is not available (permissible under article DT250GI). Spain gets deported. USA plays France. France gets deported along with the Statue of Liberty. You get the drift. 19th July USA is crowned champions unopposed\u201d \u2013 krishnamoorthy v<\/p>\n \u201cThat claim of biking from Buenos Aires to Atlanta seems outrageous. I asked Google. Bicycling from Buenos Aires, Argentina<\/a> to Atlanta, Georgia covers roughly 5,000 to 6,000+ miles (8,000 to 10,000 km) along the Pan-American Highway. Cyclists on long-haul tours generally take 1.5 to 2.5 years to complete the journey, though a highly aggressive, direct pace might cut the timeline down to about six months\u201d \u2013 Astonished Nigel<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Prepare for more astonishment, Nigel \u2026Share<\/a><\/p>\n One goal today will put Lionel Messi ahead in the race for the Golden Boot. Here\u2019s how it looks at the moment as four genuine superstars scrap for soccer\u2019s shiniest shoe.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n There\u2019s time to kill before kick-off. What better way to spend it than with Max, Barry et al? Join them in waving cheery-bye to Cristiano.<\/p>\n You wait all day for one Ed Aarons post \u2026 then two come along at once! Just as I was trailing his preview piece, Ed gets in touch with this communiqu\u00e9 from Georgia.<\/p>\n double quotation markThe atmosphere is building at the Atlanta Stadium, where temperatures are already in the 30s. Thankfully it\u2019s fully air-conditioned inside. As you might expect, there are thousands of Argentina fans here to see if the reigning champions can book their place in the quarterfinals but not all have managed to get tickets. One has even cycled all the way from Buenos Aires to be here so let\u2019s hope he gets lucky. There\u2019s also plenty of Pharaohs fans wearing Mohamed Salah shirts. Can the Egyptian King inspire them to a famous victory?<\/p>\n Better call Nick! Photograph: Ed AaronsShare<\/a><\/p>\n A tale of two 10s. Lionel Messi and Mo Salah have met twice before. Ed Aarons has the details.<\/p>\n Lionel Messi<\/a>Mohamed Salah<\/a>Share<\/a><\/p>\n Egypt make two changes after the penalty shootout win over Australia. Haissem Hassan replaces Omar Marmoush up front, while Mohanad Lasheen comes into the midfield at the expense of Hamdy Fathy.<\/p>\n Haissem Hassan<\/a>Share<\/a><\/p>\n Argentina make three changes to their starting XI following the 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde. Nicol\u00e1s Tagliafico, Leandro Paredes and Julian Alvarez come in for Facundo Medina, Thiago Almada and Lautaro Mart\u00ednez.<\/p>\n Juli\u00e1n \u00c1lvarez<\/a>Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.52 EDT<\/p>\n The teams<\/p>\n Argentina: Emiliano Martinez, Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Tagliafico, De Paul, Paredes, Mac Allister, Fernandez, Messi, Alvarez. Egypt: Shobeir, Hany, Rabia, Ibrahim, Hafez, Ashour, Attia, Lasheen, Hassan, Salah, Ziko. Referee: Francois Letexier (France).<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.50 EDT<\/p>\n Argentina and Egypt have only played each other twice before. Most recently, Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Burdisso scored the goals in a 2-0 victory for La Albiceleste\u200a in a 2008 friendly in Cairo. Lionel Messi was out injured that day, so that has about as much relevance as the meeting at the 1928 Olympic Games, which Argentina<\/a> won 6-0.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Egypt\u2019s progress out of the groups was a bit more fraught. A staunch draw with Belgium<\/a>, a win over New Zealand<\/a>, and a skin-of-their-teeth draw against Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n Having won their first group game at the World Cup<\/a>, Egypt then went on to register their maiden knockout victory. It wasn\u2019t that memorable \u2026 not until Mo Salah converted a Power Panenka, anyway.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here\u2019s how the world champions Argentina have got here. It was plain sailing in the groups, with Lionel Messi rattling them in during wins over Algeria<\/a>, Austria<\/a> and Jordan<\/a> \u2026<\/p>\n \u2026 though things got a bit trickier in the next round. Messi is unquestionably a World Cup<\/a> legend \u2026 but in a different sort of way, Sidny Lopes Cabral is too.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n A reminder of how it all began \u2026 and a chance to reacquaint yourself with both teams.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n Messi versus Salah is an awfully reductive way of framing this match. But it is Messi versus Salah. But while you\u2019d expect Messi\u2019s Argentina to have too much for Salah\u2019s Egypt \u2026 that<\/a> Cape Verde match<\/a> proved nothing is nailed-on. Also \u2026<\/p>\n Mo. Photograph: Simon Stacpoole\/Offside\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"USA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783440849_21_1599.jpg\")
USA fall asleep in Seattle and it\u2019s tchau Ronaldo | World Cup Daily \u2013 videoShare<\/a><\/p>\n
Subs: Musso, Rulli, Senesi, Montiel, Barco, Lo Celso, Palacios, Gonzalez, Almada, Simeone, Paz, Otamendi, Lopez, Lautaro Martinez, Medina.<\/p>\n
Subs: El Shenawy, Soliman, Mohamed Alaa, Abdelmaguid, Trezeguet, Abdelkarim, Fathy, Emad, Adel, Saber, Marmoush, Tarek Alaa, Zizo.<\/p>\n