Messi Leads Argentina to Historic World Cup Comeback

Lionel Messi scored in a record sixth straight World Cup knockout match to help Argentina reach the quarterfinals with a stunning late comeback to beat Egypt 3-2. Egypt were leading the defending champions 2-0 heading into the closing stages before Messi provided an assist for Cristian Romero in the 79th minute and a goal of his own four minutes later to tie the score. The win marked a historic turnaround, with Argentina becoming the first team to win a knockout match in regulation time after trailing by two goals in the 75th minute. Messi's goal also gave him a two-goal lead over Kylian Mbappé on the World Cup career leaderboard.

## What happened Argentina were quickly given the chance to level the match when Haissem Hassan tripped Nicolás Tagliafico in the box moments later. Referee François Letexier pointed to the penalty spot, and Messi stepped up with an expectant crowd waiting for him to score. Shobeir had other ideas, diving to his left to block the shot for Messi's second penalty miss of the 2026 tournament after also failing from the spot against Austria in the group stage. Despite being the leading career scorer at World Cups, Messi has missed a record four of his eight penalty kicks at the tournament through the years. After Messi hit the post later in the half, Shobeir pulled off another great save to stop Julián Álvarez from close range. Egypt thought they had doubled their 1-0 lead in the second half when Zico finished off a sweeping attack. ## Why it matters The win marked a historic turnaround, with Argentina becoming the first team to win a knockout match in regulation time after trailing by two goals in the 75th minute. Messi's goal also gave him a two-goal lead over Kylian Mbappé on the World Cup career leaderboard. ## How to think about it The win marked a historic turnaround for Argentina, with Messi's performance leading the team to a stunning late comeback. The team's ability to come back from a two-goal deficit in the 75th minute is a testament to their determination and skill. ## FAQ