When it comes to football, one player should never be underestimated: Lionel Messi. Just as it seemed that his aspirations of guiding Argentina to another World Cup victory were fading, the 39-year-old superstar delivered a stunning performance that salvaged his nation’s hopes in a thrilling encounter.
With only 11 minutes remaining in the match, Argentina was on the verge of a shocking defeat against Egypt, trailing after goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Ziko. Mostafa Shobair, whose father, Ahmed, was Egypt’s goalkeeper during the 1990 World Cup, appeared poised to craft a new, successful chapter in his family’s legacy with his impressive saves. Yet, Messi had other plans.
Messi, visibly emotional at the final whistle, had previously made history as the first player to miss two penalties in a single World Cup tournament, but he was determined to turn the tide. An assist from Cristian Romero reignited Argentina’s chances, and Messi soon added to his World Cup tally, scoring his 21st goal just eight minutes before the end. The match had been framed as a showdown between the two No 10s, but it was a cruel twist of fate when Mohamed Salah lost possession, leading to Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández scoring the decisive goal from a cross by Lautaro Martínez. Egypt’s players protested, claiming a foul had occurred during the buildup, but to no avail.
Coach Lionel Scaloni had warned his squad to remain alert after a narrow escape against Cape Verde in the previous round, making three adjustments to the team that triumphed in extra time in Miami. Julián Alvarez was brought back into the starting lineup, replacing Lautaro Martínez, while Egypt made two changes from their historic penalty shootout victory over Australia, adjusting their formation to match Argentina’s 4-4-2 setup.
Hossam Hassan’s team stepped onto American soil with a history of three World Cup appearances without a victory, including a first-round exit in 1934. After finally breaking that streak, the seven-time African champions were determined to make an impact and started the match perfectly.
Leandro Paredes acted quickly to clear an early free kick from Marwan Attia, yet Argentina seemed unfazed. In the 15th minute, Mohamed Hany earned a corner, and Attia’s delivery was met by Ibrahim’s powerful header, igniting celebrations on the Egyptian bench.
Argentina was soon presented with a golden opportunity when Hassan fouled Nicolas Tagliafico in the box, prompting the French referee to point to the penalty spot. However, Messi’s attempt was thwarted by Shobair’s impressive save. Despite being regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi’s penalty success rate at the World Cup remains at a disappointing 50%.
Shobair, who has recently solidified his position as first-choice goalkeeper ahead of veteran Mohamed El Shenawy, made another remarkable stop against Alexis Mac Allister as frustration mounted for Argentina. Messi’s curling free-kick struck the post, and Shobair somehow denied a close-range effort from Alvarez, who was clearly astonished by the miss. Notably, this marked the first time Argentina had trailed at halftime in a World Cup match since their 4-0 defeat to Germany in the 2010 quarterfinals.
Despite their struggles, Argentina showed little sign of improvement after the break. Scaloni breathed a sigh of relief when the video assistant referee overturned a brilliant breakaway goal from Ziko, which followed a fantastic run by Hossan and a perfectly timed pass from Salah. Replays revealed a foul on Lisandro Martínez by Attia nearly 30 seconds before the goal was scored. Nevertheless, Egypt soon found the net again, with Hossan leaving Nahuel Moilna behind before setting up Ziko, who found the back of the net past Emi Martínez.
Argentina now faced the grim prospect of defeat. However, Messi took it upon himself to rescue his team once more, as Romero’s precise cross allowed him to reduce the deficit. The eruption of joy that followed his goal was dwarfed by the thunderous cheers that erupted just four minutes later when he equalized. Egypt failed to clear the ball, and when it fell to Messi, there was only one possible outcome, even as Shobair got a hand to his shot but could not keep it out. More excitement was on the horizon.
- World Cup 2026
- Argentina
- Egypt football team
- World Cup
- match reports
