Argentina players toss teammate Lionel Messi (10) into the air as they have fun after the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
ATLANTA — It was one other World Cup epic from an Argentina team that simply doesn’t know when it’s beaten.
Trailing 2-0 against Egypt with 11 minutes of regulation time to play on Tuesday, the defending champions rallied for an improbable 3-2 victory and a spot within the quarterfinals.
“We now have an outstanding group, a gaggle that never gives up regardless of the difficulties and adversity. We’re all the time together,” said Enzo Fernandez, who scored the winning goal in stoppage time.
READ: World Cup: Messi, Argentina beat Cape Verde, 3-2, in additional time thriller
Argentina will play Switzerland in the subsequent round on Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri.
For much of Tuesday’s game, it looked like it will be a painful exit for the 39-year-old Lionel Messi in what is likely to be the last of his six World Cups.
Egypt led after goals in each half from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico and might have been ahead 3-0 if not for a video review that ruled out one other rating.
Argentina looked down and out, its bid to be the primary team to win back-to-back World Cup titles since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 all but dead.
Cue a monumental comeback.
READ: World Cup: Messi subs in, scores again as Argentina sweeps group
“The guts of Argentinians is all the time something that pushes, that we keep going regardless of what, that we give every little thing until the tip. And truthfully, with the rating 2-0, we looked a bit beaten,” Argentina striker Julian Alvarez said. “There was little time left, but we all the time manage to get something more by fighting until the tip.”
Cristian Romero began the rally by scoring with a header within the 79th minute. Messi, who was in tears after the ultimate whistle, scored his eighth goal of the tournament and record-extending twenty first goal on the World Cup within the 83rd to level the rating at 2-2 and Fernandez accomplished the comeback in injury time.
“4 years have passed since Qatar, and we’ve come to enjoy one other World Cup — and we would like to win it again. That’s what we’re aiming for,” Fernandez said.
Argentina is not any stranger to heroic matches on the World Cup.
There was the 3-2 win over West Germany within the 1986 final. Then the 3-3 draw and eventual shootout victory against France to reclaim the title 4 years ago.
READ: Messi becomes first to attain in 7 straight World Cup games
Cape Verde pushed Argentina to the brink within the last round before the defending champions eventually won 3-2 in additional time.
Tuesday’s match was much more dramatic, with Messi having a first-half penalty saved and one other effort hit the post.
“I’m so emotional,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “What a gaggle of players, brother.”
Egypt took a surprising lead within the fifteenth minute when Ibrahim got ahead of Lisandro Martinez to fulfill Marwan Attia’s cross and head the ball into the underside corner.
Argentina was quickly given the possibility to level the match when Haissem Hassan tripped Nicolas Tagliafico within the box moments later. Referee François Letexier pointed to the penalty spot and Messi stepped up with an expectant crowd waiting for him to attain.
READ: Messi sets World Cup scoring record as Argentina advances
Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir had other ideas, diving to his left to dam the shot for Messi’s second penalty miss of the tournament after also failing from the spot against Austria within the group stage.
Despite being the all-time leading scorer at World Cups, Messi has now missed 4 of eight penalty kicks on the tournament.
After Messi hit the post later within the half, Shobeir pulled off one other great save to stop Julian Alvarez from close range.
Egypt thought it had doubled its lead within the second half when Mostafa Zico finished off a sweeping attack. However the wild celebrations were cut short when a foul earlier within the move was confirmed on video review and the goal was disallowed.
That second goal for Egypt did are available in the 67th from the same break, and this time Zico’s effort counted. It just wasn’t enough.
READ: Messi has his first World Cup hat trick as Argentina routs Algeria
“We looked higher in comparison with the reigning champions. We were higher in every little thing, however the result,” Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said.
Hassan said he wouldn’t watch any further games at this yr’s World Cup, believing his team must have had a penalty before Argentina broke away for the winning goal.
“I’m not convinced with this final result. I’m not convinced with the way in which things unfolded during this match,” he said. “I don’t want to attempt to put it nicely here with beautiful wording, chosen wording, and saying hard luck and so forth and so forth.
“We now have been treated unfairly today,” Hassan said. “We now have suffered injustice.”