Argentina produced one of the most dramatic comebacks of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as Lionel Messi inspired the defending champions from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 in a controversial Round of 16 clash and secure a place in the quarter-finals.
The holders looked destined for an early exit after a resilient Egyptian side stunned them with two second-half goals. Yasser Ibrahim opened the scoring before Mostafa Ziko doubled Egypt’s advantage, leaving Argentina facing elimination.
Messi’s afternoon had begun on a frustrating note after he missed a first-half penalty and later struck the post, with Argentina struggling to break down Egypt’s disciplined defence.
However, Lionel Scaloni’s side mounted a remarkable late fightback.
Cristian Romero sparked the revival with a powerful header in the 79th minute before Messi levelled the score four minutes later, reigniting Argentina’s hopes. Deep into stoppage time, Enzo Fernández completed the comeback with the winning goal to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory.
The thrilling encounter was overshadowed by controversy, with Egypt left angered by several key refereeing decisions.
The Pharaohs had a second-half goal ruled out following a VAR review, while they also questioned the build-up to Argentina’s winning goal, arguing that a foul had been overlooked by the match officials.
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan expressed his disappointment after the match, claiming his side had been denied a fair chance of progressing to the quarter-finals.
“I do not want to put it nicely and talk about hard luck. We have been cheated unfairly today; we have suffered injustice,” he said.
Despite the controversy, Argentina held on to complete an extraordinary turnaround and keep alive their bid to successfully defend the World Cup title.
Messi, who endured a difficult afternoon before his decisive intervention, once again proved instrumental as Argentina avoided a shock elimination and advanced to the last eight.
The South American giants will now face Switzerland in the quarter-finals, while Egypt bow out after producing a spirited performance that pushed the reigning champions to the limit.
