Messi Has 7 World Cup Goals. Argentina vs. Egypt Is Tuesday's Marquee DFS Parlay.

Lionel Messi scored 7 goals in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and owns the all-time tournament scoring record at 20 career goals. Egypt is next. That storyline alone is generating more search traffic than any other Round of 16 match this week. The picks come after.

The Match: Tuesday, July 7, 12 PM ET in Atlanta

Argentina vs. Egypt kicks off at noon Eastern at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Round of 16. One result, nothing carried over. There is no Messi consolation prize in a knockout round. Argentina's 2026 path: group wins over Algeria (3-0), Austria (2-0), and Jordan (3-1), then a grinding 3-2 extra-time survival against Cape Verde in the Round of 32. They have been the tournament's best team. Egypt reached this stage by drawing Belgium and Iran, beating New Zealand 3-1, then beating Australia on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Round of 32. For Egypt, getting here was historic. Their tournament has been built on clean sheets and grinding results. Argentina generates chances. Egypt absorbs pressure and lives on Mohamed Salah's counter-attacking ability. Those two gameplan profiles collide Tuesday at noon.

Pick 1: Messi Anytime Scorer

Eight consecutive World Cup matches with a goal. That is the single most important data point on this slate. Seven goals in four games is not a hot streak — it is the baseline for what Messi is doing in this tournament. Egypt's defense conceded in every knockout-phase appearance. They are compact but not impenetrable, and Argentina's movement patterns pull compact blocks apart in the second half as physical intensity drops. Messi anytime scorer is the anchor leg of any Wanna parlay for Tuesday. If you build a three-pick slip and Messi is not in it, you are already working against yourself. This is the pick that makes the rest of the parlay worth entering.

Pick 2: Argentina to Advance and Over on Goals

Argentina scored twice or more in five of their six 2026 tournament matches. Egypt averaged under one goal per game in this tournament. That gap does not close in a Round of 16 match. The structure: Argentina to advance, correlated with Argentina over 1.5 goals. These two legs sit in the same result zone on Wanna's pick'em format. If Argentina wins convincingly, both legs cash. If they grind to a 1-0 result, one leg cashes. The setup rewards the most likely outcome while covering multiple scoring scenarios. Argentina will not sit back and protect a slim lead against a team that thrives in low-possession games. The knockout format pushes them to score early and press the result. That pressure pushes the goals prop higher.

Pick 3: Lautaro Martinez or the Salah Hedge

Lautaro Martinez starts alongside Messi in Argentina's forward line. He is the direct beneficiary when Egypt's backline shades toward Messi. As defenders collapse on the record-holder, Martinez gets clean runs. Anytime scorer at second striker is the natural supporting leg for a cash-game parlay. If you want separation in a Hail Mary contest: Salah anytime scorer for Egypt. Egypt's entire attack runs through him. Salah is the one player who can manufacture a goal from nothing on a set piece or counter. Size that position accordingly.

The Window Closes at Kickoff

This is a World Cup knockout match. Argentina exits if they lose. Tuesday's slate locks at 12:00 PM ET — that is a hard stop. Build the Messi-anchored parlay now in the AI Parlay Generator on Wanna and enter the Main Event or Hero Contest before Atlanta kicks off. Sign up with code LIVE and receive a 100% deposit match up to $250. Real-money contests available in 26 US states. Free-to-play contests available everywhere. See wannaparlay.com for full state eligibility.