Overview
- Mohamed Salah told reporters he would choose Lionel Messi for a symbolic World Cup “last dance” after Egypt’s Round of 32 penalty win over Australia.
- Egypt will meet defending champions Argentina in the Round of 16 at Atlanta Stadium, marking the first World Cup meeting between Salah and Messi.
- Lionel Messi arrives in strong scoring form, having extended his all-time World Cup tally to 20 goals and helped Argentina survive a 3-2 extra-time win over Cape Verde.
- Salah is Egypt’s all-time World Cup scorer with three goals, and his penalty in the shootout against Australia kept the Pharaohs alive for this high-profile test.
- The exchange highlights a wider storyline at the 2026 tournament about likely final World Cups for several stars and raises the possibility of a major upset that would reshape the quarter-final draw against Colombia or Switzerland.