Argentina possess the quality and experience to advance, but if they once again need a 39-year-old Messi alone to rescue them, they may not be so fortunate this time.

A fringe player before the tournament, Zico is quickly emerging as one of Egypt's standout performers.

Mohamed Salah scored as 10-man Egypt beat South Africa 1-0 in Agadir on Friday to become the first qualifiers for the knockout stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

At a cafe in a bustling Cairo neighbourhood, Liverpool games once drew wall-to-wall crowds, but with Mohamed Salah off the pitch, his Egyptian fans would now rather play cards or quietly doomscroll than watch the Reds play.