Lionel Messi produced another memorable World Cup performance as defending champions Argentina national football team fought back from two goals down to defeat Egypt national football team 3-2 and book a place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Egypt looked set for a famous victory after goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico gave them a 2-0 lead. Earlier, Messi had missed a penalty, with goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir making a crucial save to leave Argentina trailing at halftime.
With just over 10 minutes remaining, however, the match turned dramatically. Messi set up Cristian Romero to reduce the deficit before scoring the equaliser himself in the 84th minute with a powerful strike. Deep into stoppage time, Messi helped create the decisive attack that saw Enzo Fernández score the winning goal, completing an extraordinary comeback.
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni praised his team’s determination, saying their resilience and fighting spirit had once again carried them through a difficult challenge.
The match was also overshadowed by controversial VAR decisions. Egypt had an earlier goal from Mostafa Zico ruled out after a lengthy review determined there had been a foul during the build-up. Later, Egyptian players protested after VAR did not review a possible foul on one of their attackers before Argentina’s winning goal, leading to frustration among players and coaching staff.
Despite the defeat, Egypt delivered one of their strongest performances of the tournament. Mohamed Salah played a key role in the team’s attacking display, while Shoubir produced several outstanding saves to keep his side in contention before Argentina’s late surge proved decisive.
