Argentina produced one of the greatest comebacks of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, overturning a two-goal deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 and book their place in the quarter-finals.
Egypt looked set for a famous upset after Yasser Ibrahim opened the scoring before Mostafa Zico doubled the lead in the second half. Argentina’s hopes suffered another setback when Lionel Messi saw an early penalty saved by goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir.
With just over 10 minutes remaining, the defending champions found another gear.
Cristian Romero pulled one back to ignite the comeback before Messi took control of the contest. The Argentina captain set up Romero’s goal, then calmly fired home the equaliser to bring his side level and breathe life into their title defence.
As the match entered stoppage time, Enzo Fernandez completed the remarkable turnaround, heading home the winner to send the Argentine fans into wild celebrations.
After the final whistle, emotions overwhelmed Messi as he was seen in tears while celebrating with his teammates following another unforgettable World Cup night. The 39-year-old’s goal and assist once again underlined his importance as Argentina kept their dream of retaining the trophy alive.
Argentina will now face the winner of the Colombia versus Switzerland clash in the quarter-finals.
