Argentina pulled off a stunning comeback to seal a 3-2 victory over Egypt in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Atlanta. Lionel Messi was once again the star of the show with a goal and assist as the defending champions stayed alive in the competition and survived another major scare after the thrilling 3-2 victory over Cape Verde.
Egypt took an early lead in the 15-minute header from Yasser Ibrahim. A few minutes later the three-time winners were awarded a penalty. However, Messi once again missed from the spot, and the game went level at half-time.
Mohammed Salah scored a second goal, but it was ruled out by VAR for a foul on Lisandro Martinez in the build-up. However, the Africans scored again and took a 2–0 lead in the 67th minute, which put the defending champions on course for an early exit.
Lionel Messi Inspires Comeback
When it looked like Argentina were down and out, Messi stepped up and changed the course of the game. Cristian Romero scored in the 79th minute with a header. The Argentina captain assisted the goal with a fine cross into the box.
Four minutes later, Messi took matters into his hands and scored his 8th goal of the ongoing edition to level scores. This marked the 9th consecutive World Cup match he has scored in. Enzo Fernadez scored in the 93rd minute to seal a win for Argentina with a leaping header following a fine cross from Lautaro Martinez.
Argentina To Face Colombia Or Switzerland
Argentina will now face the winner of Colombia or Switzerland in the quarter-final on Saturday (July 11) at Kansas. If they win the game, the three-time champions will face either England or Norway in the semi-finals.
Argentina is looking to become the first team in 62 years to defend their title.
