FIFA 2026: Argentina Narrowly Beat Egypt To Reach Quarter-final

 

Argentina delivered an incredible comeback to knock Egypt out of the FIFA World Cup in the Round of 16, winning 3-2 with Lionel Messi scoring the equaliser. 

The South Americans are the defending champions from the last edition of the tournament in Qatar. The last time they failed to reach the quarter-final was in 2018, when they lost to France in a thrilling 4-3 comeback. 

Egypt got off to a great start, taking the lead when Yasser Ibrahim nodded home Attia's cross in the 19th minute. The lead doubled in the second half in a counter led by Mo Salah, who slipped a pass to Hassan, then eased a pass to Mostafa Ziko for the finish from inside the penalty area. 

Messi assisted with pulling one goal back in the 79th minute, crossing the ball into the six-yard box for Romero to nod into the net. The striker leveled the scoreline, striking a loose ball into the net from the penalty area. 

Argentina sealed the comeback with the winning goal in a counterattack. They broke through the midfield, Montiel darted down the right and crossed the ball into the six-yard box for Enzo Fernández to head into the net.

The South Americans have now reached the quarter-final back-to-back as Messi extended his goal tally to seven. They will face the winners of the match between Switzerland and Colombia.

Overview 

Argentina's technical brilliance delivered the victory to them. Egypt played impressively well and can be said to have been unlucky to have two goals ruled out after VAR reviews. However, they had the game in hand, but failed to bolster the defense as Argentina's aggression grew, pressing them deep into their own half. 

Messi was a great influence on the South American side, making an impact in the build-ups that led to the comeback. Salah was a standout for the Egyptian side for the best part of the first half. His influence on the game was pronounced. Nevertheless, Messi was a player in his own class and led Argentina to swing the game around. 

Chances and Defenses

Argentina had the first goal attempt at the goal when Romero slipped a cutback to on-rushing Enzo Fernandes. They had wasted a chance to level Yasser's lead when Messi missed scoring from a penalty drawn by Tagliafico. Then Julian Alvarez missed a shot from inside the penalty area, making a save instead. 

Though Ziko's goal was ruled out for a foul earlier, before the moment he scored, Argentina played the defense too open for the Egyptians to penetrate, and vulnerable for a player like Salah to penetrate and assist a scoring moment. Likewise, the Egyptians allowed too many opponents inside the box unmarked for Messi to local Romero. They were vulnerable in the build-up to the winning goal, leaving Yasser to challenge against two attackers.