Argentina vs Egypt

The defending world champions and an African giant clash in Atlanta's Round of 16, with a quarter-final spot — and a date with Switzerland or Colombia — on the line. Argentina scraped past Cabo Verde in the Round of 32, needing a last-gasp own goal in extra time to survive a 3-2 scare. Egypt made history by reaching the last 16 for the first time in 92 years after beating Australia on penalties, arriving unbeaten and full of belief. Lionel Messi leads the Golden Boot race with seven goals and is eyeing a single-tournament scoring record. Mohamed Salah paces the entire field in chances created but nursed a hamstring concern through 120 minutes against Australia. Nicolás González is a doubt for Argentina with an ankle problem. Argentina's knockout pedigree — ten wins from 12 World Cup matches that went beyond 90 minutes — makes them very hard to back against. Egypt will look to stay compact and hit on the break. Our prediction: 2-1