Messi leads Argentina to stunning comeback against Egypt to reach quarterfinals

After the captain missed a penalty, the South American side roared back to beat the African country 3-2 and book a place in the next round of the World Cup.

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Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their second goal during the FIFA World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, on July 7.
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match against Egypt in Atlanta on July 7.

Argentina booked a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals on Tuesday with a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt. 

Egypt opened the scoring in the Round of 16 match at Atlanta Stadium in Georgia with a header by Yasser Ibrahim in the 15th minute.

Argentina had a golden chance to equalize six minutes later after winning a penalty, but the attempt by captain Lionel Messi was saved. The miss extended his World Cup record for missed spot kicks to four, the most in the tournament's history.

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Lionel Messi of Argentina, center, controls a ball against Egyptian footballers during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match in Atlanta on July 7.
Lionel Messi of Argentina, center, controls a ball against Egyptian footballers during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match in Atlanta on July 7.



Egypt doubled their lead in the 67th minute through Mostafa Zico. The African side then focused on defending and launched quick counterattacks each time they won the ball back.

As the match entered its dying minutes, Argentina appeared to be running out of time. But the rally began in the 79th minute when Cristian Romero scored on a cross from Messi, who then got on the scoresheet himself as he pulled his side level four minutes later with a powerful left-footed finish from close range.

With momentum fully on their side, Argentina completed the comeback in stoppage time when Enzo Fernández scored the winner in the 92nd minute.

Argentina players toss teammate Lionel Messi into the air as they celebrate after the FIFA World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, on July 7.
Argentina players toss captain Lionel Messi into the air as they celebrate after the FIFA World Cup 202 Round of 16 match against Egypt in Atlanta on July 7.


At the final whistle, Messi was seen fighting back tears before breaking down in emotion as the weight of nearly costing his country with the missed spot kick gave way to relief.

The Argentine legend is now on eight goals for the tournament, clear of France’s Kylian Mbappé and Norway’s Erling Haaland, who are tied for second with seven apiece. Messi also extended his all-time World Cup scoring record to 21 goals while setting a new mark by scoring in nine consecutive World Cup matches.

Argentina will take on Switzerland in the quarterfinals on Saturday at Kansas City Stadium in Missouri.


BY PIH JU-YOUNG [[email protected]]

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

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