Egypt vs Argentina: Mohamed Salah ready for Lionel Messi World Cup showdown

Egypt are preparing for a blockbuster World Cup clash against Argentina, with national team officials backing Mohamed Salah to inspire another upset against Lionel Messi and the reigning world champions.

Salah helped Egypt reach the next round after converting a penalty in a shootout victory over Australia.

Reflecting on the moment, the former Liverpool forward said: “I decided last minute. I am more experienced than others and I wanted to give them confidence.”

“I don’t know if it’s my last World Cup, but I had to do it. Today was one of the best days of my life.”

After the win, Salah admitted he would welcome the chance to face Messi, saying simply: “Messi.”

The World Cup meeting in Atlanta will be the first international encounter between the two stars, although they previously faced each other in the UEFA Champions League.

Speaking ahead of the match, Egypt national team director Ibrahim Hassan insisted his side would not be intimidated by Argentina's captain.

“We aren’t focusing on Messi. We tell the players to go out there, play their game and block out the stature of who they are up against. They might have Messi, but we have Mohamed Salah – and we have 26 Messis of our own.”

Argentina progressed after a dramatic extra-time victory over Cape Verde, while Egypt will hope Salah can lead another memorable performance against the defending champions.