Messi at 39 saves Argentina from disaster in dramatic 3-2 win over Egypt

In a thrilling round of 16 match at the 2026 World Cup, Argentina staged a stunning comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 on Tuesday. Trailing 2-0 after 67 minutes, the South Americans scored three goals in the final 20 minutes, including a last-minute winner by Enzo Fernandez.

Egypt took the lead in the 15th minute when Yasser Ibrahim headed in a cross from Marwan Attia. Argentina had a chance to equalize soon after from the penalty spot, but Lionel Messi's shot was saved by goalkeeper Shobeir. That penalty was Messi's eighth in World Cup tournaments, setting a new record for most penalties taken, though he has converted only half (four).

In the second half, Egypt had a goal disallowed by VAR, but Mostafa Ziko made it 2-0 in the 67th minute. Argentina's fightback began in the 79th minute when Cristian Romero headed in from Messi's pass. Four minutes later, Messi himself equalized after a pass from Gonzalo Montiel. The winning goal came in the second minute of stoppage time: Lautaro Martinez crossed, and Enzo Fernandez slotted home from close range.

After the match, five Egyptian players received yellow cards, and the team's goalkeeper coach Safan Elsagir was shown a red card. Argentina will face the winner of the Switzerland-Colombia match in the quarterfinals.

The 2026 World Cup is the first to feature 48 teams, split into 12 groups. The group stage ends on June 27, with the final scheduled for July 19.