In the span of the match’s final 10 minutes, Argentina came from 2–0 down to win 3–2 against Egypt in the 2026 World Cup round of 16, narrowly escaping what might have been the tournament’s biggest-ever upset at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
A pumped-up Egypt started the match with more zip and caught Argentina cold as Yasser Ibrahim headed home from Marwan Ateya’s inviting cross after 15 minutes.
Normal service looked to be restored when Lionel Messi stepped up to take a penalty, after Nicolás Tagliafico was felled in the box. However, the tournament’s joint-leading scorer could only extend his record of the most missed spot kicks in World Cup history (4) as Mostafa Shobeir batted a predictably placed effort away.
Alexis Mac Allister and Julián Alvarez boosted the world champion’s xG before the break, but couldn’t convert good chances.
After halftime, Egypt put in superb counter-attacking displays with tight defending, before carving Argentina open on the break. Ziko thought he had put his country two up before his effort was ruled out for a foul in the build up, but the man named after a Brazilian legend did get his goal shortly after another slicing move from end to end.
With the clock winding down and staring down the barrel of humiliation, Argentina finally clicked into gear. First, Cristian Romero headed one in, before Messi thumped in the equalizer. Egyptian hearts were fully broken in stoppage time as Enzo Fernández’s header confirmed Argentina would progress to the quarterfinals.
A thrilling end masked an underwhelming first 75 minutes for Lionel Scaloni’s side, who will rightly celebrate, but know there is much work to be done.
The One Thing We Can’t Ignore
After a barnstorming group stage and faced with a favorable draw, Argentina looked to be in the box seat to make another World Cup final. But in the knockouts so far, we have seen two Argentinas.
After surviving a major scare against Cabo Verde, Lionel Scaloni’s men almost came undone against the organized, collective effort of Egypt.
A sluggish start hurt Argentina in Atlanta, with the Pharaohs biting into tackles, setting the tempo and using pace out wide to exploit the reigning champion’s weak points, before taking a shock lead.
The last time Argentina conceded first at a World Cup was in the group stage defeat to Saudi Arabia back in 2022. The last time they went into half time behind? Back in 2010, when Diego Maradona was still manager.
Argentina created plenty of chances—not least Messi’s penalty miss—but had come up against a side ready to give the performance of its life.
The other Argentina, when it arrived on 79 minutes, was stunning and ruthless. The comeback—one sure to go down in World Cup legend—shows this is a team with a sense of inevitability, one that can still pull out moments of magic when needed.
WIN FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ FINAL TICKETS & OTHER PRIZES
Argentina Player Ratings vs. Egypt (4-1–2–1-2)
GK: Emiliano Martínez—5.7: Couldn’t do anything about either goal and had little else to do, making zero saves all game.
RB: Nahuel Molina—7.0: Offered little going forward and struggled going backwards before being hooked.
CB: Cristian Romero—8.1: Came up clutch when it mattered to power in his header and ignite the comeback.
CB: Lisandro Martínez—7.6: Outjumped for Egypt’s first goal, apparently unaware of Zico stealing into the box for the second.
LB: Nicolás Tagliafico—6.9: Won the penalty with a driving run forward, but struggled badly against Haissem Hassan’s pace.
DM: Leandro Paredes—6.9: The shift to a diamond shape saw Paredes used as a holder, where he picked up the most touches of any player on the pitch (129).
CM: Rodrigo De Paul—7.1: Ineffective before being replaced midway through the second half.
CM: Alexis Mac Allister—7.0: Had more license to get forward. Probably should’ve scored with header shortly after first hydration break.
AM: Enzo Fernández—8.2: Failed to create a single chance or take a shot before popping up with what will surely become an iconic winner in Argentina history.
ST: Lionel Messi—8.7: Missed his fourth penalty at a World Cup, extending his own record, but more than made up for it with his late equalizer thumped into the roof of the net as well as an assist.
ST: Julián Alvarez—6.8: Forced an unbelievable save from Mostafa Shobeir in the first half, but might have made it an impossible one had he angled his shot better from ten yards out.
SUB: Nicolas González (66’ for Nicolás Tagliafico)—6.7: Made an enormous difference to Argentina’s midfield balance after coming in.
SUB: Lautaro Martínez (66’ for Rodrigo De Paul)—7.1: Got an assist in the comeback and probably earned back his starting spot alongside Messi after his cameo.
SUB: Gonzalo Montiel (73’ for Nahuel Molina)—7.1: Another inspired sub who got himself an assist.
SUB: Nicolás Otameni (90’ for Julián Alvarez)—N/A
SUB: Facundo Medina (90’ for X)—N/A
Subs not used: Gerónimo Rulli (GK), Juan Musso (GK), Marcos Senesi, Nicolás Otamendi, Exequiel Palacios, Giovani Lo Celso, Guiliano Simeone, Nico Paz, Thiago Almada, Valentín Barco, José Manuel López.
What the Ratings Tell Us
- Lionel Messi is simply undeniable. With the clock ticking down on what may be his last-ever World Cup, the 39-year-old popped up with a goal and an assist to keep the dream of back-to-back tournament wins alive. This is his tournament, still.
- After impressing earlier in the World Cup, Lisandro Martinez struggled badly in this match and played a part in allowing both of Egypt’s goals.
- Super-subs made the difference for Scaloni, with Nicolas González adding much needed drive to Argentina’s engine room, while both Lautaro Martínez and Gonzalo Montiel got assists in the late show.
The Numbers That Explain Argentina’s Stunning Comeback
- Despite hammering Egypt in xG, 2.80 to 0.98, Argentina were far more wasteful in front of goal, spurning four of the seven shots on target.
- In the end, Argentina’s volume of chances won out, carving out a massive 19 total shots and six big chances , compared to Egypt’s five and two.
| Statistic | Argentina | Egypt |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 64% | 36% |
| xG | 2.80 | 0.98 |
| Total Shots | 19 | 5 |
| Shots on Target | 7 | 2 |
| Big Chances | 6 | 2 |
| Pass Accuracy | 90% | 83% |
| Fouls | 13 | 11 |
| Corners | 6 | 1 |
