Argentina vs. Egypt: World Cup holders "are in danger of being punished" in round of 16

Ahead of Argentina's last-16 clash with Egypt at the 2026 World Cup, Sports Mole's Senior Reporter Oliver Thomas discusses the South American nation.

Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter: "You cannot take anyone for granted"

Argentina really did scrape past the heroic debutants Cape Verde and avoided what would have been one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history. 

There were 62 places in the rankings between these two nations heading into this game and you would not have thought that watching it. 

Cape Verde really surprised everyone with how they performed. Nobody expected them to compete as well as they have done at this tournament. 

They go out with their heads held high and did not actually lose a single game in 90 minutes. Four draws in total and only losing to Argentina in extra time. 

They deserve all the plaudits that come their way. As for Argentina, they really had to dig deep for that victory. Cape Verde would not accept defeat. 

Argentina had two goals cancelled out. Cape Verde scored that stunning goal in extra time but in the end Argentina found a way to squeeze through to the last 16. 

Looking at the match momentum, Argentina did dominate throughout. They had 52 touches in the opposition's box to Cape Verde's 16. 

They also had twice as many shots, almost 65 percent possession, and a greater expected goals figure. Argentina did more than enough to win this match but certainly did not sail through to the last 16. 

They were really made to work for that victory. This was supposed to be, on paper, a fairly routine fixture for Argentina. 

Now they come up against an Egypt side who are stronger than Cape Verde and have more players playing at a higher level. 

Could Argentina be in for another tricky test here? This game has just proven once again that people need to expect the unexpected. 

You cannot take anyone for granted. As much as you may be the favourites for a particular game, you have to be on it and perform at your best.

If performance levels slip by even a fraction, you are in danger of being punished, as has been seen by some of these teams already at the World Cup. As dominant as they were, Argentina maybe got away with it slightly in this game.