Argentina trailed at halftime, conceded again in the 67th minute, then scored three times in 24 minutes to win 3-2 against Egypt at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Tuesday. Cristian Romero started the comeback in the 79th minute, Lionel Messi leveled four minutes later, and Enzo Fernandez sealed it at 90. A missed Messi penalty in the 21st minute made the turnaround look improbable, but Scaloni’s double substitution in the 72nd minute changed the shape of the game entirely.
Key Moments
15′ — Egypt take the lead:Y. Ibrahim puts the Pharaohs ahead, giving an Egypt side that needed penalties to beat Australia in the Round of 32 a dream start against the world champions.
21′ — Messi misses from the spot: Argentina’s clearest chance to level is wasted when Messi’s penalty is saved. Egypt go into halftime ahead.
58′ — VAR disallows Ziko goal: Mostafa Ziko appears to double Egypt’s lead, but the effort is ruled out for a foul.The call proves decisive — Egypt keep a one-goal cushion rather than two.
67′ — Ziko scores for real: Despite Argentina’s mounting pressure, Ziko finds the net to make it 2-0. The comeback looks almost impossible.
79′ — Romero pulls one back: A set-piece routine finally pays off. Romero gets on the end of it and Argentina have a lifeline.
83′ — Messi equalizes: The captain answers his first-half penalty miss. He levels at 2-2.
90′ — Fernandez wins it:Fernandez drives one home to complete the comeback.
How Argentina Turned It
The switch at 72 minutes opened the right channel that had been starved of ball for most of the match and created the sustained pressure that produced all three goals.
Egypt’s gameplan was disciplined and direct: a 4-4-2 block, restricted passing lanes, and quick transitions on the break. It nearly worked. With only 36% possession and five shots across 90 minutes, Egypt had almost no margin once Argentina shifted tempo. The four yellow cards in the final minutes — including Haissem Hassan’s second — reflected a side that had run out of ways to hold.
Player Ratings
L. Messi — 7.5/10
Missed the penalty that could have rewritten the entire match. That he recovered to score the equalizer in the 83rd and pull the strings through the closing minutes says something, but the miss will be the reference point for any post-mortem. Argentina came through because of him, and nearly went out for the same reason.
E. Fernandez — 8.5/10
Scored at 90 when Argentina needed it most.Relentless in the final third once the substitutions opened space.
C. Romero — 7.5/10
Scored the goal that started the comeback at 79, composed defensively for most of the night.Did what a centre-back was asked to do, then scored from set-piece when it mattered.
M. Ziko — 7.0/10
Had a goal disallowed by VAR, then scored a real one two minutes after the double substitution. Egypt’s clearest attacking presence. Subbed off at 80, not long before Argentina completed the turnaround.
Mostafa Shobeir — 7.5/10
Four saves to keep Egypt in the match for as long as they were. Denied Argentina on multiple occasions before the final ten minutes.
Y. Ibrahim — 6.5/10
Scored the opener at 15.Faded as Argentina pushed higher in the second half, but his early goal gave Egypt the platform they almost converted.
World Cup 2026 — Knockout Bracket
Round of 32
South Africa 0 ▶ Canada 1 ▶ Brazil 2 Japan 1 Germany 1 (3 pen) ▶ Paraguay 1 (4 pen) Netherlands 1 (2 pen) ▶ Morocco 1 (3 pen) Ivory Coast 1 ▶ Norway 2 ▶ France 3 Sweden 0 ▶ Mexico 2 Ecuador 0 ▶ England 2 Congo DR 1 ▶ Belgium 3 Senegal 2 ▶ USA 2 Bosnia & Herzegovina 0 ▶ Spain 3 Austria 0 ▶ Portugal 2 Croatia 1 ▶ Switzerland 2 Algeria 0 Australia 1 (2 pen) ▶ Egypt 1 (4 pen) ▶ Argentina 3 Cape Verde Islands 2 ▶ Colombia 1 Ghana 0
Round of 16
Canada 0 Colombia 0 Quarter-finals France 0 Morocco 0 Spain 0 Belgium 0 Norway 0 England 0
Knockout results, aggregate scores across legs; winners in bold, penalty shootouts noted.
Verdict
Argentina are through. They needed three goals in eleven minutes to stay in the tournament, and against Egypt’s low block that was far more difficult than the scoreline makes it look. Scaloni’s side have the character — they showed that much — but the passivity for 78 minutes will be studied before the quarterfinal. Whoever they face next will set up in a very similar shape. The question is whether Argentina can crack it before the deficit becomes unmanageable.