Messi Inspires Argentina Comeback Against Egypt in World Cup Thriller

Lionel Messi missed a first-half penalty, then produced a late assist and goal as Argentina escaped a two-goal deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 in a dramatic World Cup 2026 round-of-16 match in Atlanta.

Argentina survive a huge scare

Argentina’s title defence came within minutes of collapsing. After already needing a tense win over Cape Verde in the previous round, Lionel Scaloni’s side found itself in even deeper trouble against a fearless Egypt team that led 2-0 with only 11 minutes of normal time remaining.

Egypt looked ready to create one of the biggest knockout shocks in World Cup history. Yasser Ibrahim had opened the scoring with a powerful header, and Mostafa Ziko later doubled the lead after a sharp move down the left. For long spells, Argentina looked frustrated, rushed and unable to break down goalkeeper Mostafa Shobair, who delivered a superb performance.

But Messi, even on a night that began painfully, changed the match. The 39-year-old captain first crossed for Cristian Romero to head Argentina back into the contest in the 79th minute. Four minutes later, he volleyed home the equaliser after Egypt failed to clear inside the box. In stoppage time, Enzo Fernandez completed the turnaround with a header from Lautaro Martinez’s delivery.

Egypt punish Argentina early

Egypt entered the match with confidence after eliminating Australia on penalties, and Hossam Hassan’s team showed no fear of the defending champions. Using a 4-4-2 shape similar to Argentina’s, Egypt pressed with energy and attacked quickly whenever Mohamed Salah or Haissem Hassan found space.

The breakthrough arrived in the 15th minute. Mohamed Hany won a corner, Marwan Attia delivered accurately, and Ibrahim rose above the defence to head the ball into the net. The goal stunned Argentina and sparked wild celebrations on the Egypt bench.

Argentina had a perfect chance to respond when Nicolas Tagliafico was fouled in the box. Messi stepped up, but his penalty lacked power and Shobair saved it. The miss added another unusual mark to Messi’s World Cup story, as he has now failed to convert multiple penalties in the tournament across his career.

Shobair then kept Egypt ahead with more important saves, including a close-range stop from Alexis Mac Allister and another denial against Julian Alvarez. Messi also struck the outside of the post from a free kick. By half-time, Argentina were behind in a World Cup match for the first time at the interval since their 2010 quarter-final defeat to Germany.

Ziko makes it 2-0 before Messi responds

Argentina briefly escaped early in the second half when VAR ruled out a brilliant Egypt counterattack. Ziko had finished the move after a pass from Salah, but the goal was cancelled because of an earlier foul by Attia on Lisandro Martinez.

Egypt did not have to wait long for the second goal. Hassan beat Nahuel Molina on the flank and squared for Ziko, who finished past Emiliano Martinez. At 2-0, Argentina appeared to be heading out, and Egypt were only minutes away from one of their greatest football nights.

Then the match turned in four chaotic minutes. Messi’s cross found Romero for 2-1, immediately lifting the belief inside the Argentina team and among their supporters. Soon after, Egypt failed to deal with a loose ball in the area, and Messi struck a firm volley that Shobair touched but could not stop.

The equaliser was another record-extending moment for Messi, who moved to 21 goal involvements at the World Cup. He also matched the tournament record for assists and became the first player to score in six consecutive World Cup knockout matches.

Enzo Fernandez completes the turnaround

With extra time approaching, the decisive moment came in the third minute of stoppage time. Salah lost possession in the build-up, Lautaro Martinez delivered from wide, and Enzo Fernandez headed in Argentina’s third goal.

Egypt protested, believing there had been a foul before the goal, but the decision stood. The late strike sealed a historic comeback: Argentina had lost every previous World Cup match in which they trailed by two goals, but this time they found a way back.

What the result means

For Argentina, the victory keeps alive the dream of defending the World Cup, but it also raises questions. Scaloni’s team showed resilience and elite mentality, yet they were vulnerable defensively and relied heavily on Messi’s late influence.

For Egypt, the defeat was heartbreaking. They had the champions cornered, Shobair played like a hero, and Ziko’s goal seemed to put them on the edge of history. Instead, the final minutes turned the night into a painful lesson in how quickly knockout football can change.

Argentina will now face the winner of Switzerland vs Colombia in the quarter-finals. If Messi and his teammates want to go all the way again, they may need to find more control before the next test.

Source: Rewritten and adapted from VnExpress match report. Images credited to Reuters/AP via VnExpress.