Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah face off in the World Cup Round of 16 in Atlanta on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. While Messi leads the tournament’s Golden Boot race, Salah looks to pull off the biggest upset yet, just days after Salah revealed he would choose Messi for a final World Cup farewell.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup marks a definitive closing chapter for some of soccer’s most celebrated figures. But the tournament’s marquee matchup on Tuesday places two remaining icons on a collision course at Atlanta Stadium.
Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah Meet in a Historic First International Clash
For Mohamed Salah and the Egyptian national team, reaching the Round of 16 represents uncharted territory. Salah enters the match with an Egypt-record three World Cup goals, sitting just one shy of national team coach Hossam Hassan’s record of 69 international goals.
Hossam Hassan, Egypt coach, stated that his dreams and ambitions had no limits, promised that the team would do everything to live up to the expectations of fans, asserted that they were no underdogs and were big in every respect, and noted that they were a civilization that was 7,000 years old, even more than 7,000 years.
Standing in their path is the reigning champion, Argentina. Lionel Messi enters the knockout fixture at age 39, having netted seven goals across four matches to sit level with Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race. Messi has scored in a record eight straight World Cup matches, stretching back to his 2022 title run, and holds a record career total of 20 World Cup goals.
Yet Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni warned against complacency, pointing to his squad’s nervy 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde in the previous round.
Lionel Scaloni, Argentina coach, stated that he thought that World Cup had been and was very tricky for everyone, observed that it seemed there was no clear favorite, and expressed his conviction that if they hadn’t resorted to their character in the last match they would be out as Cape Verde was giving them a very hard day.
Tuesday’s match marks their first-ever meeting wearing national colors.
Diverging Paths Beyond the Pitch: Tech Portfolios and Venture Investments
While Messi and Salah battle on the pitch in North America, their financial futures off it reflect entirely different playbooks. Elite athletes are increasingly trading traditional endorsement fees for equity stakes and startup investments, a trend driven by the global reach and credibility stars bring to early-stage companies.
Kamraan Khan, partner at Archers Valuation and Advisory, stated that the shift from traditional sponsorship agreements towards equity stakes and startup investments reflected a broader focus on long-term wealth creation and financial security beyond an athlete’s playing career.
Messi has embraced Silicon Valley venture capital. In October 2022, he launched San Francisco-based investment firm Play Time HoldCo alongside entrepreneur Razmig Hovaghimian. Initially targeting roughly $200 million, Play Time has backed artificial intelligence and tech ventures including FieldAI, Fish Audio, World Labs, Perceptron, Intangible, and SuperAnnotate, alongside sports-oriented assets like Matchday and AC Momento. Outside of Play Time, Messi holds equity in fantasy football platform Sorare and joined the ownership group of KRÜ Esports alongside Sergio Agüero. His arrival at Inter Miami in 2023 also included an ownership component alongside his salary, with Sportico valuing the MLS club at $1.45 billion in February 2026.
Cristiano Ronaldo has similarly pivoted toward technology, focusing heavily on health and longevity. In May 2024, Ronaldo became an investor in wearable fitness tracker and health analytics firm Whoop after years as a paying user, in a deal described by the company as one of his most significant investments.
Mohamed Salah, by contrast, has largely maintained a traditional financial approach centered on commercial partnerships, property holdings, and philanthropic efforts.
The Bracket Takes Shape Toward the Quarterfinals
The winner of Tuesday’s showdown in Atlanta will advance to the quarterfinals on Saturday, July 11, where they will face the winner of the Round of 16 clash between Switzerland and Colombia. The Swiss secured their first knockout-round win since 1938 by defeating Algeria 2-0, though coach Murat Yakin voiced concerns over player fitness after Johan Manzambi, Rubén Vargas, and Djibril Sow cut Monday training short.
Murat Yakin, Switzerland coach, noted that if they might not play the following day, it could be a huge issue for them.
Colombia arrives in Vancouver having completed a unique North American tour as the only team to play matches across all three host nations—Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
