Defending champions Argentina produced a remarkable late comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 and book their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Lionel Messi once again delivering when his team needed him most.
The South American giants looked on the verge of a shock exit after falling 2-0 behind, but an incredible late rally saw them score three goals in the closing stages to keep their title defence alive.
Egypt stunned the favourites in Atlanta after Yasser Ibrahim opened the scoring before Mostafa Ziko doubled the advantage, putting the Pharaohs within touching distance of one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.
Argentina’s problems deepened earlier in the match when Messi missed a penalty, with Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir producing another outstanding save in what was a brilliant performance.
With time running out, Cristian Romero pulled one back with a powerful header to spark Argentina’s comeback.
Moments later, Messi redeemed himself by firing home the equaliser, extending his incredible scoring streak to nine consecutive World Cup matches and taking his tournament tally to eight goals.
The dramatic turnaround was completed in stoppage time when Enzo Fernandez headed home the winning goal to send Argentina into the last eight.
At the final whistle, an emotional Messi was seen in tears as he celebrated the memorable victory with his teammates.
Egypt, however, finished the match frustrated after a controversial VAR decision ruled out what would have been another goal, while a member of the team’s coaching staff was also shown a red card after the final moments of the game.
Argentina will now face either Colombia or Switzerland in the quarter-finals as they continue their quest to retain the World Cup trophy.
Source: AFP
