Argentina continued their FIFA World Cup 2026™ campaign in the knockout stage, with La Albiceleste securing a 3-2 comeback victory against Egypt in a thriller at Atlanta Stadium in the Round of 16. Inter Miami CF captain Leo Messi scored Argentina's second goal in the match and dished out an assist, while midfielder Rodrigo De Paul also featured in the team's starting XI.
Notably, the match saw Messi reach an unprecedented 31 appearances in FIFA World Cup history. Additionally, his goal was one for the books, as he also became the first player to score in in six consecutive knockout stage matches, and overall to score nine consecutive matches in the global competition.
Lineup Notes
The defending World Cup champions lined up with Emiliano Martínez in goal; Nahuel Molina, Crisitian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, and Nicolás Tagliafico made up the back four; Leandro Paredes, De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, and Enzo Fernández started in midfield; captain Messi and Julián Álvarez led the line in attack.
Match Action
The match started with Egypt pulling ahead in the 15th minute, with Yasser Ibrahim heading home a cross from Marawan Attia.
Argentina had a chance to equalize through a penalty in the 21st minute, but Messi's attempt was ultimately saved by Egypt's goalkeeper.
The second half saw Egypt double their lead in the 67th minute with a goal from Zico on a counterattack.
Argentina pushed for a goal throughout the remainder of the second 45 minutes, and was finally rewarded with a goal 79th when Cristian Romero found the back of the net with a header after Messi delivered a pinpoint cross into the box.
Captain Messi levelled the scoring just four minutes later in the 83rd minute. Egypt's backline failed to clear the ball after a delivery into the box, before Messi unleashed a powerful first time left-footed strike to tie the match at 2-2. With the goal, he reached 21 total World Cup goals to extend his lead as the top scorer in the history of the competition, and eight this edition as he continues to lead the scoring charts.
La Albiceleste completed the comeback in dramatic fashion in the second minute of added time, with Enzo Fernández scoring with a header from inside the box to capitalize on a cross from Lautaro Martínez.
The 3-2 lead would hold through the final whistle, and Argentina booked a spot in the Quarterfinals.
Next Match
Up next, Argentina will face Colombia or Switzerland in the Quarterfinals on Saturday, July 11 at 9 p.m. ET at Kansas City Stadium.
Stats
Possession:
ARG - 64%
EGY - 36%
Shots:
ARG - 19
EGY - 5
Saves:
ARG - 0
EGY - 4
Corners:
ARG - 6
EGY - 1
Fouls:
ARG - 13
EGY - 11
