Argentina avoided a historic upset after coming from two goals down to defeat Egypt 3-2 in the Last 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. Egypt's Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico scored in the first half and second half respectively to put the Pharaohs in control, with Ibrahim opening the scoring in the 15th minute and Zico adding a second in the 65th minute. Argentina's Lionel Messi missed a first-half penalty, saved by Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, who also denied Messi from a spot-kick in a previous match against Austria. Christian Romero reignited Argentina's hopes with a header in the 79th minute, before Messi equalised in the 85th minute with his 21st World Cup goal and eighth of the tournament. Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez scored the winner two minutes into injury time, heading in a cross from Lautaro Martinez to complete the comeback. The goal marked the 3,000th in World Cup history. The match turned tense late on, as Egypt protested a denied penalty appeal after Mohamed Salah appeared to be tripped, but the referee did not award the spot-kick. Egypt, who had never won a World Cup match before this tournament, had advanced by defeating Australia in the round of 32. Argentina will face Switzerland in the quarter-finals after Switzerland beat Colombia 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw after extra time. The quarter-final between Argentina and Switzerland is scheduled for Sunday at 2am.
Lionel Messi missed a penalty and looked headed for an early exit, yet ended up on the winning side after Argentina overturned a two-goal deficit. Egypt had never won a World Cup game before this tournament but came within minutes of eliminating the defending champions. The Pharaohs outplayed Argentina for long stretches and were denied a potential penalty late on, raising questions about their fortune. For a team that had shown such progress, the manner of the loss makes it even more painful.
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