By Opeyemi Adelakun
Argentina captain Lionel Messi once again delivered on the biggest stage, scoring a crucial equaliser before his side completed a dramatic comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 and secure a place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The defending champions appeared to be heading for a shock exit at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta after Egypt established a commanding lead, but a spirited second-half revival preserved Argentina’s hopes of retaining the trophy.
Messi rescued his side in the 83rd minute, calmly converting from the penalty spot to level the contest after Argentina had clawed their way back into the game. The goal marked his eighth of the tournament, moving him ahead of France’s Kylian Mbappé and Norway’s Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot.
Earlier, defender Cristian Romero sparked Argentina’s comeback with a powerful header in the 73rd minute to reduce the deficit to 2-1. It was only the fifth Argentine goal of the tournament not scored by Messi, highlighting the veteran forward’s remarkable influence on the team’s campaign.
With momentum firmly on their side, Argentina continued to pile pressure on Egypt before Enzo Fernández completed the turnaround deep into stoppage time, heading home the decisive winner to send the South American giants into the last eight.
The victory extends Argentina’s winning streak at the World Cup to 11 matches and keeps alive their bid to become only the third nation, after Italy and Brazil, to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup title.
The result also marks Argentina’s sixth consecutive appearance in the World Cup round of 16 during Messi’s illustrious international career, with La Albiceleste once again progressing beyond the knockout opener.
Having maintained a perfect record of five victories from five matches at the tournament, Argentina will now shift attention to the quarter-finals, where they will face the winner of the Round of 16 clash between Colombia and Switzerland.
The quarter-final encounter is scheduled for Saturday, July 11, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, where Messi and his teammates will seek another step toward back-to-back World Cup triumphs.
For Egypt, the defeat ends a spirited campaign in heartbreaking fashion after coming within minutes of eliminating one of the tournament favourites. Despite the disappointment, their performance against the reigning champions earned admiration, pushing Argentina to the brink before eventually succumbing to the late comeback.
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