Lionel Messi Magic! Argentina rally from 0-2 down to stun Egypt, reach FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals

Lionel Messi assisted and scored a goal while Enzo Fernández struck the winner in stoppage time as defending champions Argentina produced a comeback for the ages for a sensational 3-2 win over Egypt and sealed a place in the quarterfinals in the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Atlanta on Tuesday.

Argentina fought back from 0-2 down in the Round of 16 after Yasser Ibrahim (15th minute) and Mostafa Zico (62nd minute) had put Egypt in a commanding position, raising hopes of one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.

Messi inspires stunning Argentina comeback

But Messi produced another magical display, first setting up Cristian Romero’s goal in the 79th minute before finding the net himself four minutes later. Lautaro Martínez hooked a deep ball into the box, and Messi controlled it before firing towards goal. Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir got a hand to the shot, but the ball bounced off the crossbar and crossed the line to level the score at 2-2.

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Enzo Fernandez seals dramatic stoppage-time winner

Enzo Fernandez completed the turnaround in the third minute of stoppage time with a superb finish. Lautaro delivered a deep cross to the back post, where Fernandez met it perfectly and guided the ball into the far corner to hand Argentina a dramatic 3-2 victory.

Egypt stun defending champions with two-goal lead

Earlier, Argentina conceded a first-half goal in a World Cup match for the first time since their Round of 16 clash against France in 2018. Before this game, they had gone 11 consecutive World Cup matches without conceding before half-time.

Yasser Ibrahim gave Egypt a surprise lead with a header before goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir produced a string of outstanding saves. He denied Messi from the penalty spot after Nicolas Tagliafico won a spot-kick and also kept out efforts from Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez.

Egypt thought they had doubled their lead just before the hour mark when Mostafa Zico found the net after good work from Haissem Hassan and Mohamed Salah, but the goal was ruled out for a foul in the build-up.

Argentina complete unforgettable escape

The disallowed goal only delayed Egypt’s second. Zico eventually doubled the advantage after finishing a swift counter-attack involving Salah and Hassan, leaving Argentina staring at a shock exit.

However, the defending champions refused to give up. They continued to attack relentlessly, with Cristian Romero starting the comeback before Messi restored parity. Fernandez then completed one of Argentina’s greatest World Cup fightbacks with a stunning stoppage-time winner to send Lionel Scaloni’s side into the quarterfinals.

(With IANS Inputs)