Atlanta, July 8 : Argentina produced one of the most dramatic comebacks of the FIFA World Cup 2026, scoring three goals in the final minutes to defeat Egypt 3-2 in their Round of 16 clash at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Tuesday.
The defending champions looked to be heading out of the tournament after trailing 2-0 with barely ten minutes of normal time remaining. But goals from Cristian Romero in the 79th minute, Lionel Messi in the 83rd, and Enzo Fernandez in stoppage time turned certain defeat into a famous victory.
Egypt, playing in the Round of 16 for the first time since 1934, stunned the world champions early. Defender Yasser Ibrahim put the Pharaohs ahead in the 15th minute, and the shock deepened when goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir saved a penalty from Messi before halftime.
The second half brought more misery for Argentina. Mostafa Zico doubled Egypt’s lead in the 67th minute, and Hossam Hassan’s side looked set for the greatest result in their football history. Mohamed Salah and his teammates defended with everything they had as Argentina threw players forward.
The numbers showed just how one-sided the pressure was. Argentina finished with 58 percent possession and 17 shots, seven of them on target, while Egypt managed only four shots in the entire match. For long spells, however, the Egyptian defence absorbed everything.
Then came the collapse. Romero pulled one back in the 79th minute to give Argentina hope. Four minutes later, Messi made up for his penalty miss by scoring the equaliser, his eighth goal of the tournament, keeping him at the top of the Golden Boot race alongside Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. Deep into stoppage time, Fernandez completed the turnaround, sending the Argentine bench and thousands of fans in Atlanta into wild celebrations.
Egypt’s frustration boiled over in the closing minutes, with four yellow cards shown to the Pharaohs as the match slipped away. After the final whistle, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan claimed his team had suffered an “injustice” and suggested the tournament favoured keeping Messi in the competition, remarks that are likely to spark debate in the days ahead.
For Argentina, the great escape keeps alive their dream of becoming the first nation to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Lionel Scaloni’s side had already survived a major scare in the previous round, needing extra time to beat Cape Verde 3-2.
Argentina will now face Switzerland in the quarterfinal on Sunday, July 12, with the match kicking off at 6:30 AM IST for viewers in India. Switzerland booked their place by edging past Colombia on the same day.
For Egypt, the heartbreak is enormous, but their campaign, which included draws with Belgium and Iran and a penalty shootout win over Australia, marks a proud chapter for African football.
Messi Leads a Blockbuster Golden Boot Race
The equaliser against Egypt was Messi’s eighth goal of the tournament, moving him one clear of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, who are level on seven each, in the race for the Golden Boot. England captain Harry Kane sits close behind on six after his penalty helped knock out co-hosts Mexico.
The 39-year-old Argentine has been in stunning form throughout the World Cup. He opened with a hat-trick against Algeria, struck twice against Austria, curled in a free-kick against Jordan, and scored again against Cape Verde before his latest heroics in Atlanta. Along the way, Messi overtook Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in men’s World Cup history, taking his career tally to 21 goals, and has now scored in nine consecutive World Cup matches.
His rivals are refusing to let go. Mbappé, the 2022 Golden Boot winner, became France’s all-time record goalscorer earlier in the tournament and also holds two assists, which count as the tiebreaker if players finish level. Haaland has carried Norway to their first ever World Cup quarterfinal, including a match-winning brace against Brazil. Remarkably, Messi has never won the Golden Boot in six World Cup appearances, making this final chase one of the tournament’s biggest storylines.
