Argentina is through to the World Cup quarterfinals after one of the most remarkable comebacks, scoring three late unanswered goals to defeat Egypt 3-2 in a rollicking Round of 16 contest in Atlanta on Tuesday.
The result itself – Argentina going through to the final eight – is not unexpected. But how they got there and the lightning-quick way they did it will live on in history after 23 of the most dramatic minutes that the 2026 World Cup, or indeed any version of this tournament, could have offered.
The opening minutes were relatively evenly matched as both teams felt each other out like boxers at the start of a major fight. The electric crowd in Atlanta was dominated by Argentines, though there were a few pockets of loud, vibrant fans clad in Egyptian red.
It was those fans who were able celebrated first as Egypt shocked the world champions with the opening goal. In the 15th minute, Yasser Ibrahim rose above the Argentine defense to bury a header past Emiliano Martínez, stunning the Argentines. A perfectly placed ball from Marwan Attia unlocked the defending champions’ defense, allowing Ibrahim to outmuscle Lisandro Martínez at the crucial moment.
Argentina’s fortune seemed to change shortly after. A pass to Nicolás Tagliafico beat the Egyptian defense before he was brought down in the box by Haissem Hassan, prompting the referee to immediately call for a penalty. Up stepped Lionel Messi, who smacked a shot low to the right corner –bringing out a spectacular diving save by Mostafa Shobeir.
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Egypt erupted into celebration as multiple players fell to their knees to kiss the pitch, silencing the Argentine faithful for the first time. It was Messi’s second penalty miss of the tournament.
Shobeir made another brilliant stop on a close-range header by Alexis Mac Allister just after the hydration break as Argentina desperately searched for an equalizer. Messi nearly struck minutes later on a long-range free kick, bending his effort over the wall and off the post.
Shobeir denied Argentina again five minutes before halftime as Julián Alvarez attempted to turn in a cross from Tagliafico but the diving Egyptian keeper continued his brilliant game with an epic save.
The shock of the tournament appeared to be in the 55th minute when Egypt broke away down the field and buried what appeared to be a second goal. However, the video assistant referee (VAR) flagged a foul in the buildup and waved the goal off, stripping the Egyptians of a commanding two-goal advantage and handing the world champions a massive reprieve.
Haissem Hassan had made a winding run down the Argentine right before finding Egypt star Mohamed Salah. The former Liverpool winger then picked out Mostafa Zico, who finished ably. But the play was ruled out for a foul by Marawan Attia on Lisandro Martínez at the other side of the pitch just as the Egyptians broke away.
In the 67th minute, Egypt finally scored one that couldn’t be taken away to make it 2-0. Salah intercepted an Argentine attack to spark a lethal counter, sprinting down the field before picking out Hassan. He cut into the box and dragged a pass back to Zico, who made no mistake, rifling it home to double Egypt’s lead.
From there, Argentina appeared stunned but pressed forward to climb out of a massive hole with only minutes remaining.
Argentina took a huge step in the 79th minute when Cristian Romero continued his late-game heroics, heading home a cross to make it 2-1. It was Romero who saved Argentina in the Round of 32 against Cape Verde with a header that went off a defender and into the net to seal advancement against the African underdogs, and his goal against Egypt gave his nation hope.
As the game ticked toward the end of the 90 minutes, Messi and Argentina turned the pressure up to its highest possible level. And then the moment for the little genius came.
Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez scores their third goal. Brett Davis/Imagn Images/Reuters
Messi played a ball into the box that was deflected high into the air and was nodded down by one of his teammates. The ball pinged around and Messi pounced like a tiger on the loose ball.
His lashed strike was unstoppable, hitting off Shoebir’s hand, off the crossbar and over the line for the 83rd-minute equalizer.
And then in stoppage time, Argentina came all the way back and scored a miraculous winner.
A header from Enzo Fernandez, catching the Egyptians on the counter attack, sealed the most incredible comeback of the tournament and a game that will live in World Cup history.
The Argentine fans danced and sang through the final whistle and celebrated with their team as if they’d won the cup again already, the feelings of relief and jubilation coursing through a side that has won it all.
Messi was named the man of the match, unsurprisingly, and extends his World Cup record to 21 goals scored in the six tournaments in which he’s played. His eight goals in the tournament have him in the lead for the tournament’s Golden Boot, awarded to the top scorer.
Even with all those accolades and history behind him, the result still overwhelmed Argentina’s No. 10. As his fans celebrated and sang his name after the final whistle, tears could be seen in the eyes of one of the greatest players to ever step foot on pitch.
It was a moment of humanity for an otherworldly player – and echoed the tears in the eyes of Argentines throughout Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
CNN
