Lionel Messi scored in a record sixth straight World Cup knockout game to help Argentina reach the quarter-finals with a stunning late comeback to beat Egypt 3-2 on Tuesday in Atlanta.
Egypt led the defending champions 2-0 heading into the closing stages before Messi provided an assist for Christian Romero in the 79th minute and scored his own goal four minutes later to level the scores.
Just as extra time seemed on the way, Enzo Fernandez headed into the net in the second minute of stoppage time to complete a remarkable turnaround at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
For the first time in World Cup history, a team won a knockout match in normal time after trailing by two goals in the 75th minute.
“This is a phenomenal group that never gives up,” Fernandez said. “It’s been four years since Qatar and we’ve come to enjoy another World Cup – and we want to win it again. This is what we strive for.”
Argentina, bidding to become the first back-to-back world champions since Brazil in 1958 and 1962, will meet Switzerland in the quarterfinals in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday.
“I’m so emotional,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “What a group of players, brother.”
Lionel Messi celebrates scoring Argentina’s second goal against Egypt. Evrim Aydin/Anadolu via Getty Images
Egypt looked set for a stunning upset after Yasser Ibrahim’s 15th-minute goal was complemented by Mostafa Zico’s close-range strike on the counter-attack in the 67th minute. The record seven-time African champions, who made history by reaching the last 16 for the first time, also failed to score after a video review.
Messi missed a chance to equalize in the first half when his penalty was saved by Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir. Messi also hit the post when the score was 1-0.
But he delivered the goods again late. Messi has scored in a record nine consecutive World Cup matches since Argentina won the title in 2022. Tuesday’s goal was his 13th of the period.
“Honestly, I’m very happy that we pulled it off and the way we did it,” Messi said. “At 2-0 things got tough so it was incredibly exciting to turn things around again. We suffered a lot, but this is the World Cup for you: all the matches are the same, everything is so equal.
“But as always, this group never gives up and keeps trying until the very end.”
Messi’s eight goals in this tournament put him one ahead of Frenchman Kylian Mbappe and Norwegian Erling Haaland in the fight for the Golden Boot.
His goal also gave Messi a two-goal lead over Mbappe on the World Cup career leaderboard.
“The way he was excited was also touching,” teammate Lautaro Martinez said of Messi’s reaction during normal time. “I told him right on the field to enjoy the moment because he deserved it and that we will continue to give our all for ourselves, but above all for him, because this is his last World Cup and he has given us so much.”
For much of the game it looked like it would be a painful exit for the 39-year-old Messi in his sixth and possibly final World Cup.
Egypt took a surprise lead in the 15th minute when Ibrahim beat Lisandro Martinez to parry Marwan Attia’s cross and head the ball into the bottom corner.
Argentina quickly had a chance to equalize when Haysem Hassan tripped Nicolas Tagliafico in the box moments later. Referee Francois Letexier pointed to the penalty and Messi walked towards the crowd awaiting his goal.
Shobeir had other ideas, diving to his left to block Messi’s second penalty miss of the 2026 tournament after he also missed from the penalty spot against Austria in the group stage.
Despite being the world cup’s top career goalscorer, Messi has missed a record four of eight penalties at the tournament in recent years.
After Messi hit the post late in the half, Shobeir made another excellent save to stop Julián Alvarez from close range.
Egypt thought they had doubled their 1-0 lead in the second half when Zico finished off a blistering attack. But the wild celebrations were cut short when a video review confirmed a foul earlier in the game and the goal was disallowed.
Egypt’s second goal came in the 67th after a similar break and this time Zico’s effort was chalked out. In the end, this turned out to be not enough.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.