The focus in Atlanta falls on two of the greatest players of his generation as the Argentine Lionel Messi and of Egypt Mohamed Salah meet with a place in the next round in the game.Un will continue to build an already legendary international career. The other could be his last appearance in the World Cup.Messi already finished football by leading Argentina to the World Cup title four years ago, but the 39-year-old continues to rewrite the record books. He enters the match with seven goals in four games in this tournament, tied with Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race. He also scored in a record eight consecutive World Cup matches dating back to Argentina’s 2022 title run, extending his all-time World Cup tally to 20 goals.Salah, meanwhile, remains the face of Egyptian football. The 34-year-old is a four-time Premier League Golden Boot winner and the all-time leading scorer in foreign competition, but his international legacy has continued to grow.He scored 66 goals in 118 appearances for Egypt, the second-highest total in the nation’s history, sitting just three behind national team coach Hossam Hassan’s record of 69.Beyond the goals, Salah has helped Egypt reach unprecedented heights on the global stage. The Pharaohs claimed their first World Cup win by defeating New Zealand 3-1 in the group stage before earning their first win in the knockout stage by eliminating Australia on penalties after a 1-1 draw.The contrast in international resumes is striking. Messi scored 124 goals in 203 appearances for Argentina as they won the World Cup and Copa América, making him his country’s all-time leading goalscorer. Salah’s 66 goals in 118 caps underline his importance to Egypt, with almost 56% of his international appearances ending in a goal.
Lionel Messi vs Mohamed Salah: A look at their international numbers
Whether or not this will be Salah’s last World Cup remains uncertain. The same is true for Messi, who has yet to commit to another international tournament.For now, however, the two icons have another opportunity to add another chapter to their international legacies, with only one guaranteed to keep the dream alive.