Messi leads Argentina in stunning late 3-2 comeback to oust Egypt from World Cup

It was another World Cup epic from an Argentina team that simply doesn’t know when it’s beaten.

Trailing 2-0 against Egypt with 11 minutes of regulation time to play on Tuesday, the defending champions rallied for an improbable 3-2 victory and a spot in the quarterfinals.

“We have a phenomenal group, a group that never gives up no matter the difficulties and adversity. We’re always together,” said Enzo Fernandez, who scored the winning goal in stoppage time.

Argentina will play either Switzerland or Colombia in the next round on Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri.

For much of Tuesday’s game, it looked like it would be a painful exit for the 39-year-old Lionel Messi in what might be the last of his six World Cups.

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Egypt led after goals in each half from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico and could have been ahead 3-0 if not for a video review that ruled out another score.

Argentina looked down and out, its bid to be the first team to win back-to-back World Cup titles since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 all but dead.

Cue a monumental comeback.

“The heart of Argentinians is always something that pushes, that we keep going no matter what, that we give everything until the end. And honestly, with the score 2-0, we looked a bit beaten,” Argentina striker Julian Alvarez said. “There was little time left, but we always managed to get something more by fighting until the end.”

Cristian Romero started the rally by scoring with a header in the 79th minute. Messi, who was in tears after the final whistle, scored his eighth goal of the tournament and record-extending 21st goal at the World Cup in the 83rd minute to level the score at 2-2, and Fernandez completed the comeback in injury time.

“Four years have passed since Qatar, and we’ve come to enjoy another World Cup — and we want to win it again. That’s what we’re aiming for,” Fernandez said.

Argentina is no stranger to heroic matches at the World Cup.

There was the 3-2 win over West Germany in the 1986 final. Then the 3-3 draw and eventual shootout victory against France to reclaim the title four years ago.

Cape Verde pushed Argentina to the brink in the last round before eventually winning 3-2 in extra time.

Tuesday’s match was even more dramatic, with Messi having a first-half penalty saved and another effort hitting the post.

“I’m so emotional,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “What a group of players, brother.”

Egypt took a surprising lead in the 15th minute when Ibrahim got ahead of Lisandro Martinez to meet Marwan Attia’s cross and head the ball into the bottom corner.

Argentina was quickly given the chance to level the match when Haissem Hassan tripped Nicolas Tagliafico in the box moments later. Referee François Letexier pointed to the penalty spot and Messi stepped up with an expectant crowd waiting for him to score.

Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir had other ideas, diving to his left to block the shot for Messi’s second penalty miss of the tournament after also failing from the spot against Austria in the group stage.

Despite being the all-time leading scorer at World Cups, Messi has now missed four of eight penalty kicks at the tournament.

After Messi hit the post later in the half, Shobeir pulled off another great save to stop Julian Alvarez from close range.

Egypt thought it had doubled its lead in the second half when Mostafa Zico finished off a sweeping attack. But the wild celebrations were cut short when a foul earlier in the move was confirmed on video review and the goal was disallowed.

That second goal for Egypt did come in the 67th from a similar break, and this time Zico’s effort counted. It just wasn’t enough.

Egypt coach blasts referee: ‘We have suffered an injustice’

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said his team was treated unfairly and “suffered an injustice” in the wake of his team’s stunning loss.

Hassan took issue with referee Letexier on several counts. Egypt had a goal that had initially put them up 2-0, but it was disallowed following a VAR review. And the Pharaohs were upset that a hard tackle in the penalty box late in stoppage time was not reviewed.

“I’m not convinced by this outcome. I’m not convinced by the way things unfolded during this match,” Hassan said. “I do not want to try to put it nicely here with beautiful wording, selective wording, and saying hard luck, and so on and so forth.

“We have been treated unfairly today. We have suffered injustice.”

Hassan said Egypt had objected to Letexier being the referee, referring to his “background.” Letexier is from France.

Nine minutes into extra time, Hassan was issued a yellow card after objecting to the lack of a VAR review.

“I was just saying this is unfair. I was saying maybe he’s carrying a scar,” Hassan said of their interaction. “Maybe he has something to hide. Whoever has something to hide sometimes fails to hide what he is hiding.”

Hassan vowed not to watch another match during the 2026 World Cup after his team came within minutes of upsetting the defending champions.

“We looked better compared to the reigning champions,” Hassan said. “We were better in everything, but the result, the outcome, was influenced by internal factors on the pitch, inside the game, and external factors ahead of the game.

“There seemed to have been pressure exercised from the Argentinian side on the referee who had brought about this outcome.”

As the drama intensified, Letexier issued a red card to one of Hassan’s staff members. By the end of the match, Egypt had been issued five yellow cards while Argentina had none.

“Ordinary life, normal life is unfair, OK, but why isn’t there any fairness in sports? Within football,” Hassan said.

Despite his team holding a two-goal advantage late into the match, Hassan also questioned the noon start time in Atlanta. The only other match of the day was the final round of 16 match between Colombia and Switzerland at 4 p.m. ET in Vancouver.

“I dare to say that whoever schedules those matches is someone who doesn’t and has never played football. It has nothing to do with football, because you never schedule a football match for 12 p.m., at noon,” Hassan said. “At noon, you go for a stroll, you go to get some fresh air, to maybe go on a brunch, but you do not go to play football. You do not go onto the pitch.

“When are the players supposed to eat? Are they supposed to have their meal at 7:30 a.m. in order to be capable of playing at noon? Is this someone trying to outsmart everyone else?

“There have been a lot of things to be questioned on and off the pitch. Negative aspects all around. It’s just about credibility, lack of credibility with how things unfolded.

“I’m proud of my players. But we have not received what we deserve.”

Hassan has been vocal on the suffering of Palestinians during the World Cup, speaking about the issue at length with reporters on Monday, and waving a Palestinian flag after Egypt’s victory over Australia in the last round.