Defending champions Argentina produced one of the most dramatic comebacks of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday when it overturned a two-goal deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta and book a place in the quarter-finals after a pulsating Round of 16 encounter.
With just over 20 minutes remaining, Lionel Scaloni’s side appeared destined for an early exit after goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico handed Egypt a deserved 2-0 advantage. Still, the South Americans responded with three goals in the closing stages through Cristian Romero, captain Lionel Messi, and Enzo Fernández whose stoppage-time winner completed a remarkable turnaround.
The victory keeps Argentina‘s title defence alive and extends their pursuit of becoming the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to retain the FIFA World Cup.
Egypt stunned the holders in the 15th minute when Ibrahim rose highest to head home from a corner with which he silenced the crowd inside Atlanta Stadium. The African side continued to frustrate Argentina, with goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir emerging as the hero of the opening half after saving Messi’s penalty and producing a string of outstanding stops to deny Alexis Mac Allister and Julián Álvarez.
Although Egypt had an earlier effort ruled out after a VAR review, Zico eventually doubled the lead in the 67th minute which left Argentina staring at elimination.
Scaloni’s side, however, rediscovered the resilience that carried them to the 2022 title.
Romero ignited the comeback with a towering header in the 79th minute from Messi’s delivery before the Argentina captain redeemed his earlier penalty miss by firing home the equaliser four minutes later.
The decisive moment arrived deep into stoppage time when Fernández met Lautaro Martínez’s cross with a powerful header to seal a 3-2 victory and spark wild celebrations among Argentine players and supporters.
For Messi, the match was one of redemption. After enduring the disappointment of another missed penalty, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner finished with a goal and an assist. This inspired Argentina’s revival when it mattered most. His latest strike also strengthened his position among the tournament’s leading scorers.
Despite the defeat, Egypt left the competition with considerable credit. The Pharaohs, appearing in the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in their history, matched the reigning champions for much of the contest and came within minutes of producing one of the greatest upsets in tournament history.
Questions may linger over several officiating decisions after Egypt saw a goal disallowed and later appealed unsuccessfully for penalties, but their high-spirited display earned widespread praise even in defeat.
Argentina will now face either Switzerland or Colombia in the quarter-finals as they continue their quest to defend the trophy, while Egypt depart the tournament with their finest World Cup campaign despite the heartbreaking collapse.
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