Argentina 3-2 Egypt: two down with 11 minutes left, a saved Messi penalty, and the most ruthless comeback of the tournament

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The champions were dead and buried in Atlanta and somehow they are in the quarterfinals. Yasser Ibrahim's glorious header from Attia's corner put Egypt ahead on 15 minutes, Mostafa Shobeir saved Messi's penalty and then denied Mac Allister and Alvarez before half time, and when Zico finished a counter on 67 it was 2-0 with the holders on the verge of going out

Then the last eleven minutes happened. Romero headed in from Messi's cross on 79, Messi rifled in a first time strike off Montiel's pass on 83, and Enzo Fernandez won it in second half stoppage time to complete a 3-2 turnaround that had no business existing. Egypt had even had a second Zico goal chalked off by VAR for an earlier foul on Lisandro Martinez, and those margins will haunt them forever

The numbers tell you Argentina earned the right to the late drama, 19 attempts to 5 and seven on target to two, but Shobeir was having the game of his life and for 79 minutes Egypt's plan was working perfectly. Salah departs his final World Cup a legend regardless, and the Pharaohs leave with pain tonight and pride tomorrow

The Messi subplot inside it all is remarkable, a saved penalty that would have been his eighth of the tournament, then a goal and an assist in the comeback anyway, taking him to eight and back past Haaland in the Golden Boot race. Written off two rounds running and still the man dragging the champions through by the collar

So the debate. Is this comeback proof Argentina are champions who simply refuse to die, or the third straight warning that the legs are gone and someone will eventually finish them off, and does Egypt's exit, two goals up with 11 to play, rank among the cruellest in World Cup history? Switzerland await in Kansas City on Sunday

Argentina 3-2 Egypt (Jul 7, 2026) Final Score - ESPNwww.espn.com