Argentina Beat Egypt 3-2 In Dramatic Comeback To Reach World Cup 2026 Quarter-Finals

KUALA LUMPUR, JULY 2026 – Argentina booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals after completing a dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Egypt in the Round of 16. Lionel Messi and his teammates were forced to fight back from two goals down before sealing victory in stoppage time at Atlanta Stadium.

Egypt made a strong start and stunned Argentina in the 15th minute through Yasser Ibrahim. The defender headed in Marwan Attia’s cross after winning an aerial duel against Lisandro Martinez, giving Egypt a 1-0 lead and putting the defending South American giants under early pressure.

Argentina had a golden chance to respond just four minutes later after Nicola Tagliafico was brought down by Haissem Hassan inside the penalty area. Messi stepped up to take the spot-kick, but Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir denied him with a crucial save to keep his team ahead.

Shobeir continued to frustrate Argentina throughout the first half. He made another important stop to keep out Alexis Mac Allister’s header, while Messi also struck the post from a long-range free-kick. Julian Alvarez later came close from Tagliafico’s cutback, but the Egyptian goalkeeper once again kept the ball out.

Argentina controlled much of the possession after the break, but Egypt remained dangerous on the counterattack. Mostafa Zico thought he had scored in the 58th minute, only for the goal to be ruled out by VAR due to a foul on Lisandro Martinez in the build-up.

Egypt finally doubled their lead in the 67th minute. Zico finished from Haissem Hassan’s pass after a fast counterattack led by Mohamed Salah, putting Egypt 2-0 ahead and leaving Argentina with a difficult route back into the match.

The momentum changed in the 79th minute when Cristian Romero headed in Messi’s delivery to reduce the deficit. Just four minutes later, Messi redeemed his earlier penalty miss by scoring Argentina’s equaliser from close range after a scramble inside Egypt’s penalty area.

With the match heading toward extra time, Argentina completed the turnaround in stoppage time. Enzo Fernandez headed home Lautaro Martinez’s cross from a counterattack, giving Argentina a 3-2 lead and sparking protests from the Egyptian bench over an alleged foul on Mohamed Salah in the build-up.

The referee continued the match after the protests, and Argentina held on until the final whistle. The result sent Lionel Scaloni’s side into the last eight, while Egypt’s World Cup journey ended despite a brave and disciplined performance