Atlanta, USA – Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has put an end to the speculation surrounding captain Lionel Messi’s fitness ahead of their upcoming Round of 16 match against Egypt at the 2026 World Cup.
Argentina will face Egypt tonight, Tuesday, in a highly anticipated Round of 16 match at the World Cup. Both teams advanced from the group stage.
Doubts had arisen about Messi’s participation after he appeared to have a facial injury following the Cape Verde match. That game went to extra time, raising questions about his physical condition ahead of the Egypt game.
Scaloni said during the pre-match press conference: “The World Cup is a complicated tournament, and there are no easy matches. Even the title favorites have struggled, and France faced great difficulty against Paraguay”.
He added: “We have performed well and won all our matches, but we faced a tough test against Cape Verde. I told the players that we did not impose our usual control during that match, but the reaction and the comeback are positive signs. No big team has performed perfectly yet, but we have a distinguished group of players”.
Regarding Messi’s situation, the Argentina coach explained: “Messi is fine, and he did not complain of any pain. He played a full 120 minutes, and proved his readiness despite his age”.
Scaloni concluded his remarks by praising the Egyptian national team, saying: “The Egyptian national team has high-quality players, along with a coaching staff that has been working with the team for a while and has a clear style. They always make the competitions difficult for their opponents, and I expect them to put on a strong performance against us”.
