Historic achievements await Messi against Egypt in the World Cup

 All eyes of football fans are on the highly anticipated clash between Argentina and Egypt in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, to be held in Atlanta, USA. Argentina aims to continue its title defense, while Egypt seeks to pull off a major upset by eliminating one of the tournament favorites . The Argentinian team enters the match bolstered by the brilliance of its legendary captain, Lionel Messi, who continues to make history in his World Cup appearances. Messi opened the scoring in his country's thrilling 3-2 victory over Cape Verde in the Round of 32, before Cristian Romero sealed the win with a header that deflected off a defender and into the net . The veteran star has now scored seven goals in this World Cup, becoming the first player in the tournament's history to score seven or more goals in two different editions. This feat was later equaled by France's Kylian Mbappé, who scored the winning goal for his country from the penalty spot against Paraguay . The Argentine captain aims to continue his goal-scoring streak against Egypt, as another goal would bring his tally to eight in the current tournament, equaling the historic record set by Argentine Guillermo Stábile in the 1930 World Cup, the only Argentine player to score eight goals in a single edition of the tournament . Furthermore, a goal for the former Barcelona legend against Egypt would grant him another historic achievement, making him only the sixth player to score in his country's first five matches in a single World Cup, joining a list that includes Frenchman Just Fontaine, Brazilian Jairzinho, German Gerd Müller, Brazilian Rivaldo, and Colombian James Rodríguez . Despite Messi's exceptional form, the Argentine coaching staff is monitoring the player's physical condition after playing a marathon match in the sweltering heat of Miami, coupled with the short time between matches, which could present an additional challenge before facing the Egyptian national team .