Messi-Inspired Argentina Stage Stunning Comeback to Eliminate Egypt and Reach World Cup Quarter-finals

Argentina produced a dramatic late comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 and secure a place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup after appearing destined for a shock exit.

The defending world champions found themselves two goals behind for much of the second half as Egypt delivered a spirited performance that had them within touching distance of one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history. Yasser Ibrahim opened the scoring in the 15th minute, rising above Lisandro Martinez to head home Marwan Attia’s cross and send Egyptian supporters into celebration.

Argentina had an early chance to respond when Nicolas Tagliafico was brought down inside the box following a challenge from Haissem Hassan. However, goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir denied Lionel Messi from the penalty spot, producing another standout moment in an impressive display. Shobeir continued to frustrate Argentina before halftime with fine saves from Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez.

Egypt thought they had doubled their advantage before the hour mark, but Mostafa Zico’s effort was ruled out after a video assistant referee review. The forward eventually got his goal midway through the second half, calmly finishing Hassan’s delivery to put the Pharaohs 2-0 ahead and on course for a famous victory.

Argentina struggled to create clear opportunities until Cristian Romero sparked the comeback with a header in the 79th minute. The goal shifted the momentum, and five minutes later Messi redeemed his earlier penalty miss by firing home the equaliser to breathe new life into his side.

With the match heading into stoppage time, Egypt believed they should have been awarded a penalty after Mohamed Salah went down inside the area. Play continued, and Argentina quickly launched a counter-attack. Lautaro Martinez delivered a cross that Enzo Fernandez met with a perfectly timed header, completing a remarkable turnaround two minutes into added time.

The winning goal not only sealed Argentina’s place in the last eight, where they will face Switzerland, but also marked the 3,000th goal in World Cup history.

For Egypt, the defeat was heartbreaking after a memorable tournament that included their first-ever World Cup victory against Australia in the round of 32. Despite falling short, the Pharaohs pushed the three-time champions to the limit and came within minutes of recording one of football’s greatest World Cup upsets.