Argentina staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 in their World Cup Round of 16 match on Tuesday in Atlanta, keeping their hopes alive to defend their title and advance to the quarterfinals. Trailing 2-0 with just over 10 minutes remaining, the reigning champions mounted a late rally that saw Lionel Messi play a pivotal role before Enzo Fernandez scored the decisive goal deep into stoppage time.
Egypt took an early lead in the 15th minute when Yasser Ibrahim connected with a cross from Marwan Attia to head the ball past Argentina’s goalkeeper. Shortly after, Egypt conceded a penalty following a foul on Nicolas Tagliafico, but Messi’s spot-kick was saved by Egypt’s goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, marking his second missed penalty of the tournament. Despite this setback, Argentina continued to push forward, and although they hit the post later in the first half and created several scoring opportunities, they went into halftime down 1-0.
The Egyptian side extended their advantage in the 67th minute with a goal from Mostafa Zico after a fast counterattack. However, a separate goal for Egypt was disallowed by VAR earlier in the half for a foul in the buildup, reducing their scoring tally to two. Egypt’s coach Hossam Hassan expressed dissatisfaction with the match officiating, asserting that his team was treated unfairly and hinting he would not watch further World Cup matches due to perceived injustices.
Argentina responded dramatically late in the game. Cristian Romero initiated the turnaround with a header in the 79th minute, set up by Messi. Moments later, Messi himself scored a half-volley from just inside the box to level the score in the 83rd minute. The comeback was completed in the second minute of stoppage time when Fernandez headed in a cross from Lautaro Martinez. The goal sparked wild celebrations among the Argentine players, with emotions running high, especially for Messi, who was visibly moved by the team’s escape.
After the match, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni described the victory as an emotional moment and praised his players’ resilience. Fernandez echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the team’s unity and determination in overcoming adversity. Argentina is now set to face Switzerland in the quarterfinals in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday.
The match was characterized by intense drama and fluctuating momentum, with Argentina narrowly avoiding elimination and reinforcing their reputation for dramatic late comebacks in World Cup history. Meanwhile, Egypt’s strong performance against the defending champions reflected their growing competitiveness on the international stage, despite the controversial moments that shaped the final outcome.