Argentina produced one of the most dramatic comebacks of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday night, overturning a two-goal deficit to defeat Egypt 3-2 and seal a place in the quarter-finals.
For more than an hour, the defending champions looked destined for a shock exit as a fearless Egyptian side stunned Lionel Messi and his teammates with a spirited display.
But when it mattered most, Argentina’s stars delivered.
Goals from Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernández in the closing stages completed a breathtaking turnaround that kept the South Americans’ title defence alive.
Egypt Shock the World Early
The African giants made the perfect start, silencing Argentine supporters in the 15th minute.
Yasser Ibrahim rose highest to power home a header from a brilliantly executed corner kick, handing Egypt a deserved lead after an energetic opening spell.
Argentina had an immediate opportunity to restore parity after Haissem Hassan was penalised for a foul inside the penalty area.
However, Messi failed to capitalize.
The Argentine captain saw his spot-kick brilliantly saved by Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, who recorded his second penalty save of the tournament and continued his remarkable run between the posts.
Shobeir Keeps Argentina at Bay
The Egyptian goalkeeper produced a sensational first-half performance to frustrate the reigning world champions.
He denied Alexis Mac Allister from close range, watched Messi’s curling free-kick crash against the woodwork and produced another crucial stop to keep out Julián Álvarez.
Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, Argentina went into halftime trailing 1-0.
Egypt Double Their Lead
Egypt thought they had extended their advantage shortly after the restart when Mostafa Ziko found the back of the net.
The celebrations, however, were cut short after VAR ruled out the goal for a foul in the build-up.
The setback did little to slow the Pharaohs.
In the 67th minute, Mohamed Salah launched another dangerous attack before Haissem Hassan delivered a precise pass across goal for Ziko, who made no mistake this time to put Egypt 2-0 ahead.
With just over 20 minutes remaining, Argentina’s World Cup dream appeared to be slipping away.
Argentina Spark Stunning Revival
Just when Egypt seemed to have one foot in the quarter-finals, Argentina found a lifeline.
Cristian Romero climbed above the defence in the 79th minute to head home from a perfectly delivered Messi corner, reducing the deficit and injecting belief into Lionel Scaloni’s side.
Only four minutes later, Messi erased memories of his earlier penalty miss.
Receiving the ball on the edge of the penalty area, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner unleashed a clinical finish beyond Shobeir to level the score at 2-2.
The goal also saw Messi extend another extraordinary record, scoring in his ninth consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance.
Enzo Fernández Completes the Miracle
With extra time just moments away, Argentina delivered the decisive blow.
Deep into stoppage time, Lautaro Martínez broke free down the flank before sending an inviting cross into the penalty area.
Enzo Fernández timed his run perfectly, powering a header into the net in the 92nd minute to complete one of the tournament’s greatest comebacks.
The dramatic winner sent Argentina into wild celebrations while Egypt’s players were left heartbroken after letting a two-goal advantage slip away.
Quarter-Final Awaits Argentina
The victory keeps Argentina’s dream of retaining the FIFA World Cup alive.
Lionel Scaloni’s side will now face either Switzerland or Colombia in the quarter-finals as they continue their quest to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the World Cup trophy.
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For Egypt, the defeat marks a painful end to an impressive campaign that came agonisingly close to producing one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.
Messi Sets Unwanted World Cup Record
Although he inspired Argentina’s remarkable comeback, Messi also left the match with an unwanted piece of World Cup history.
His first-half penalty miss made him the first player ever to miss two penalties in the same FIFA World Cup tournament, excluding penalty shootouts.
The Argentine captain has now failed to convert four of the eight penalties he has taken in World Cup matches, having also missed against Iceland in 2018, Poland in 2022, Austria earlier in the 2026 tournament and now Egypt.
Despite the historic miss, Messi once again had the final say, producing the equaliser that sparked Argentina’s unforgettable comeback and kept their hopes of back-to-back World Cup titles firmly alive.