Argentina’s next stop is Egypt, and the matchup comes in octavos de final as the team looks for a cleaner, calmer outing before the World Cup enters its hardest stretch. The date is not the only thing drawing attention. This is the match that will show whether Argentina can do more than lean on Lionel Messi.
That question matters now because Messi has scored seven of Argentina’s 11 goals in the first phase and in the win over Cabo Verde, while Lautaro Martínez has provided the only other attacking goal for the team in this World Cup, from the penalty against Jordania. Argentina also survived a 3-2 scare against Cabo Verde, and its next game is being treated as the last chance to fine-tune the side before the pressure rises.
The search around when does Argentina play is really a search for the next checkpoint in a tournament that has already exposed the team’s shape. Argentina beat Argelia 3-0, Austria 2-0 and Jordania 3-1 before getting through Cabo Verde, and the pattern has been plain: when the ball does not go through Messi, the attack can look static and predictable. Lionel Scaloni has brushed off the concern, saying it is “No es algo que nos preocupe,” and adding that he would like the goals to be spread around the squad, “but while everything goes well, while we win...”.
That is where Julián Álvarez enters the story. He has played 200 minutes in the tournament without a goal or an assist, a stretch that underlines how much of Argentina’s burden has fallen on a narrow group. Messi, now said to be in his sixth World Cup, has carried most of the scoring, and even Gabriel Batistuta has sounded relaxed about that imbalance, saying the stars are doing it perfectly and that, for now, Messi is the one scoring. The result is a team that keeps winning but still feels unfinished.
Egypt arrives with its own survival story after beating Australia on penalties following a 1-1 draw, and that only sharpens the edge of what comes next. Argentina is expected to use the match to regain confidence before possible later rounds against Colombia and England on the road to the final of 19 July. If Argentina can spread the scoring in this one, it changes the mood around the title defense it is carrying from Catar 2022. If it cannot, the dependence on Messi will remain the story every step of the way.
For readers asking when does Argentina play, the answer is now plain: the next game is Egypt, and it is the first real test of whether Argentina can look like a complete team before the bracket turns harsher.
For more on Argentina’s opening path, see Wann Spielt Argentinien Bei Der Weltmeisterschaft? Auftakt gegen Argelia steht fest.
