Argentina staged an all time World Cup comeback to beat Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta. Romero, Messi, and Enzo Fernandez score late to overturn a 2-0 deficit. Full match report, analysis, and how Messi kept Argentina's dream alive.
They were dead and buried. Two goals down. 11 minutes left. The World Cup holders were heading out.
And then Lionel Messi happened.
Argentina produced one of the greatest comeback in World Cup history to beat Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta. Cristian Romero started it, Messi equalized it, and Enzo Fernandez finished it in the 93rd minute to send the holders into the quarter finals.
It was chaos. It was emotion. It was vintage Argentina.
For most of the night, this was Egypt's game.
They took the lead on 22 minutes through Yasser Ibrahim, who rose highest to head home a corner. Argentina looked rattled. Messi missed a penalty early on and Egypt's game plan was working perfectly: sit deep, absorb, and hit on the break.
The plan worked again in the 67th minute. Zico doubled the lead on the counter attack. The stadium fell silent. Argentina looked out of ideas, out of legs, and out of the tournament.
At 2-0 down with 20 minutes to go, the holders looked done. Messi was in tears on the bench. The fairytale was about to end.
What happened next defies explanation.
79th minute Argentina finally get a corner corner. Messi swings it in and Cristian Romero powers a header past Mostafa Shobeir. 2-1. Game on.
85th minute Messi makes amends. He picks the ball up 25 yards out, shrugs off two defenders, and lashes a shot into the bottom corner. 2-2. He screams. He cries. The Atlanta crowd erupts.
Just like that, the momentum flipped completely. Egypt were shell shocked.
90+3 minute the killer blow. Lautaro Martinez whips in a cross from the right. Enzo Fernandez, who had been quite all night, meets it with a magnificent diving header. 3-2.
Argentina's bench goes wild. Egypt's players collapse to the turf.
It was cruel on Egypt. And they had every right to feel aggressive.
Earlier in the game, Zico had a goal ruled out for a foul on Lisandro Martinez in the build up. The VAR call was correct, but it was tight.
Then in stoppage time. Egypt wanted the Enzo goal checked for a foul by Martinez on Mohamed Salah seconds before the cross. The referee waved play on. No VAR review.
Egypt led for over a hour. They defended brilliantly. They exposed Argentina on the counter. But football is cruel. One moment of Messi magic and one Enzo header undid 90 minutes of work
This felt different to 2022.
Messi missed his second penalty of this World Cup in the first half. He looked tired. He looked 39.
But champions respond.
His assist for Romero was perfect. His goal to make it 2-2 was pure determination. And his leadership dragged Argentina over the line.
After the final whistle, cameras caught him in tears. This World Cup story isn't over yet.
As Gary Neville said on commentary: "How many more times can that man and his bodyguards go to the well?" Right now, the answer is at least 3 more times.
Key Stats: Argentina 3-2 Egypt
. Possession: Argentina 71% - 29% Egypt
. Shots: Argentina 22 - 7 Egypt
. Shots on Target: Argentina 8 - 3 Egypt
. Goals: Romero 79', Messi 85', Fernandez 90+3'| Ibrahim 22', Zico 67'
Biggest Comeback: Argentina's first time coming from 2-0 down to win World Cup history.
This was not the dominant Argentina of 2022.
They were slow. They were exposed on transitions. They looked old.
But they have something no other team has: belief.
They've now won 3 knockout game from losing position in the last 2 World Cups. They don't panic. They trust Messi. They trust each other.
The problem are still there. The midfield was overrun for long periods. The defense switches off. They can't keep relying on late goals.
But good teams find a way. Great teams find a way when they play badly. And Argentina just did it again.
Argentina advance to the quarter finals. The opponent and venue will be confirmed later.
For Egypt, it's heartbreak. They were 11 minutes from the biggest result in their history. They'll leave Atlanta with pride, but also with what ifs.
For the neutral, we just witnessed an all time World Cup classic.
The holders live to fight another day. And as long as Messi is on the pitch, you can never count Argentina out.
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