Lionel Messi admitted he was relieved after Argentina produced one of the most dramatic comebacks of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, overturning a two-goal deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 and book a place in the quarter-finals.
The reigning champions looked on course for a shock exit after Egypt raced into a 2-0 lead. However, Argentina mounted a remarkable late fightback, with Cristian Romero pulling one back before Messi levelled the score. Enzo Fernández completed the turnaround in stoppage time to keep Argentina’s title defence alive.
After the final whistle, an emotional Messi praised his teammates’ resilience, saying the comeback reflected the character of the squad and expressing relief that Argentina had survived one of their toughest tests of the tournament. He described the victory as proof that the team “never gives up” despite the pressure of defending their world title.
The result, however, was overshadowed by controversy. Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan launched a furious attack on the match officials, insisting his side had been “cheated” out of the tournament. Hassan criticised a VAR decision that ruled out an Egyptian goal and also questioned the referee’s decision not to award his team a late penalty before Argentina scored the winning goal.
“I do not want to put it nicely and talk about hard luck. We have been cheated unfairly today,” Hassan told reporters after the match, adding that his players deserved more for their performance.
The defeat ended Egypt’s impressive World Cup campaign despite a spirited display against the defending champions. Meanwhile, Argentina advance to the quarter-finals full of confidence after escaping what had seemed an almost certain elimination.
The dramatic encounter has become one of the tournament’s biggest talking points, with fans praising Argentina’s resilience while debating the officiating decisions that left Egypt feeling hard done by.
