Argentina vs Egypt - Top five players to watch out for in FIFA World Cup 2026 clash ft. Thiago Almada & Omar Marmoush

Can Pharaohs stun reigning world champions Argentina to make it to quarterfinals?

Atlanta Stadium in the United States of America gears up to host the Round of 16 fixtures of the FIFA World Cup 2026, where defending champions Argentina and lock horns in what is set to be a thrilling contest.

Argentina are coming after a hard fought win over Cape Verde in the Round of 32 fixture after the African nation almost dragged the game to penalties. La Albiceleste have been in top form during the group stages. They scored ten goals across four games and conceded three, two of which came in the last game.

Egypt are one of the very few African teams remaining in the FIFA World Cup 2026. They are coming after knocking out Asia’s last team in the World Cup, Australia, on penalties. The Pharaohs are seven-time AFCON champions and would be keen to pull a big upset against Argentina in the next game.

On football’s grandest stage, ninety minutes can transform great players into national heroes. This highly anticipated showdown promises a tactical war, but the outcome rests on the boots of a few special individuals. In this article, we shall take a look at the top five players to keep an eye on.

5. Thiago Almada (Argentina)

The Argentine midfielder has been a crucial pillar for Lionel Scaloni on the left flank. Almada thrives when tightly marked in compact corridors. This would be a homecoming for Almada, who used to play for local side Atlanta United in the MLS and knows the conditions pretty well.

Almada made a high-profile move from Botafogo to Atletico Madrid, and in his maiden season at the Spanish top flight, he impressed a lot. While Argentina often likes to slow games down with possession, Almada provides that immediate acceleration when the team needs to speed up transitions on the wings.

4. Omar Marmoush (Egypt)

Born along the banks of the Nile River in northern Egypt, in the capital city of Cairo, Omar Marmoush made a high-profile switch to the English Premier League with Manchester City after a terrific performance with German outfit Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Egyptian winger has played four games so far and is yet to find his name on the scoresheet. He will be up against Atletico Madrid’s Nahuel Molina, who has performed decently for Argentina. The fate of the game will be decided mainly in the Molina vs Marmoush player battle, and the Egyptian winger will go all guns blazing.

3. Cristian Romero (Argentina)

The last game against Cape Verde was heading for penalties if Cristian Romero did not intervene in the last 10 minutes of the game, which saw the ball getting deflected for an own goal to make it 3-2. Lisandro and Romero forms the backbone of Lionel Scaloni’s defence, who has been brilliant so far.

The Argentine centre back is coming after a difficult season with Tottenham, who somehow managed to avoid relegation on the final matchday. Romero is arguably one of the most dominant centre-backs in world football today, and his recovery speed is brilliant to block counterattacks.

2. Mohamed Salah (Egypt)

After the win over Australia, Salah reiterated that Egypt must not take this moment for granted and try to get the better of Argentina in the next game. Arguably one of the greatest Africans of all time, Salah would be keen to make his last dance at the FIFA World Cup a memorable one.

He has so far scored once and given two assists in the games against New Zealand and Belgium. The two-time English champion and UEFA Champions League winner with Liverpool, Salah, must step up in this big game and propel his side to victory.

1. Emiliano Martinez (Argentina)

Emiliano Martinez had a tough outing in the last game. But he still managed to make some crucial saves against Cape Verde to help Argentina advance to the next stage.

The man who was infamously known for just winning trophies with Argentina is now coming into this tournament after lifting the UEFA Europa League with Aston Villa.

Argentina could not have asked for someone better than Dibu Martinez between the sticks, given his current form and, most importantly, his ability to step up during big games and penalty shootouts.

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