Messi Lifts Argentina Past Egypt 3-2 With 11-Minute Comeback to Reach Quarterfinals

Q: Down 2-0, Argentina won 3-2. Was this a legendary comeback or an epic Egyptian collapse?

It was both, but the stronger reading is a legendary Argentina comeback. The scale of the turnaround makes that hard to dispute. Argentina were 2-0 down, Messi had already missed a penalty and hit the post, and they were still trailing deep into the final stages before scoring three times in a rush through Cristian Romero, Messi and Enzo Fernandez. The additional reporting describes it as coming with only 11 minutes left and calls it “one of the all-time greatest World Cup comebacks.” Given the stakes — a World Cup knockout match, with the defending champions facing elimination — that label is justified. At the same time, Egypt did collapse. They had the match under control for long stretches, led 2-0 through Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico, and had already frustrated Messi from the spot. For a team chasing its biggest modern World Cup breakthrough, failing to protect that lead will be remembered as a painful missed opportunity. The fact that Egypt had also shown strong tournament form makes the finish even more damaging. But context matters. Argentina are one of the world’s elite sides, ranked among the tournament favorites, and they produced the kind of late quality that only top teams consistently find. Egypt did not simply hand the game away; Argentina forced the reversal with pressure, belief and elite finishing. So the fairest verdict is this: Egypt suffered an epic collapse, but the defining story is Argentina authoring a legendary comeback.

3 articles · Updated · The Killeen Daily Herald · Jul 7

11 minutes from elimination, Argentina erased a 2-0 deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 and book a World Cup quarterfinal on Saturday in Kansas City.
Messi drove the rally after a saved first-half penalty and a shot off the post, scoring his eighth goal of the tournament in the 83rd minute — his record 21st at the World Cup — to make it 2-2.
Cristian Romero started the comeback in the 79th minute, and Enzo Fernandez struck in stoppage time after Egypt had led through Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico.
The defending champions now await Switzerland or Colombia as they chase the first back-to-back World Cup titles since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.

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The Killeen Daily Herald5h ago

Messi Leads Argentina to 3-2 Comeback Win vs. Egypt, Secures World Cup Quarterfinal

CBC Sports5h ago

Argentina rallies to beat Egypt 3-2 and reach the World Cup quarterfinals | CBC Sports

Al Jazeera English5h ago

Argentina vs Egypt LIVE: FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 16 | World Cup 2026 News | Al Jazeera

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Messi Lifts Argentina Past Egypt 3-2 With 11-Minute Comeback to Reach Quarterfinals

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