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The spotlight in Atlanta falls on two of the best players of their generation like the Argentine Lionel Messi and Egypt Mohamed Salah meeting with a place in the next round in the game.One will continue to build an already legendary international career. The second could be the last appearance at the World Cup.Messi already completed football by leading Argentina to the world title four years ago, but the 39-year-old continues to write 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 race for the Golden Boot. 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.Meanwhile, Salah is still the face of Egyptian football. The 34-year-old is a four-time Premier League Golden Boot winner and the competition’s all-time foreign-born goalscorer, but his international legacy continues to grow.He scored 66 goals in 118 appearances for Egypt, the second-highest total in the nation’s history, just three behind national team coach Hossam Hassan’s record of 69. Salah also holds Egypt’s World Cup goalscoring record with three goals.Goals aside, Salah has helped Egypt reach unprecedented heights on the global stage. The Pharaohs claimed their first World Cup win by beating New Zealand 3-1 in the group stage before claiming their first win in the knockout stage by eliminating Australia on penalties after a 1-1 draw.The contrast in international CVs is striking. Messi amassed 124 goals in 203 appearances for Argentina as they won the World Cup and Copa América, making him his country’s all-time top scorer. Salah’s 66 goals in 118 appearances underlines 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 is Salah’s last World Cup remains uncertain. The same goes for Messi, who has yet to commit to another international tournament.For now, though, both icons have one more chance to add another chapter to their international legacies, and only one is guaranteed to keep the dream alive.
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