Argentina secured their place in the World Cup quarterfinals following a dramatic comeback victory against a resilient Egypt side. The match, which marked the first-ever meeting between the two nations in the tournament, saw Egypt take an early lead in the 15th minute when Yasser Ibrahim headed the ball into the net.
The momentum appeared to shift further in Egypt’s favor early in the second half. Mostafa Ziko initially thought he had extended the lead with a cool finish after a counterattacking play, but the goal was overturned by the referee following a VAR review for a foul on Lisandro Martínez. However, Ziko eventually found the target in the 67th minute, firing past Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez to put Egypt 2-0 ahead.
With the world champions facing an unexpected exit, the match turned in the final stages. Cristian Romero reduced the deficit for Argentina in the 79th minute. Shortly after, in the 83rd minute, Lionel Messi equalized with a powerful strike from inside the penalty area that deflected off the underside of the crossbar. This goal moved Messi to the top of the Golden Boot race with eight goals, placing him one ahead of France’s Kylian Mbappé and Norway’s Erling Haaland.
The comeback was completed in the 92nd minute when Enzo Fernández headed the ball into the bottom corner. The decisive goal arrived moments after Egypt had unsuccessfully appealed for a penalty following a trip on Mohamed Salah. Argentina is now set to face either Switzerland or Colombia in Kansas City for the quarterfinal round, with a potential semifinal matchup against England or Norway looming.
The prospect of the world champions exiting the competition was looking increasingly certain, but with 11 minutes remaining, Cristian Romero pulled a goal back for the Argentines.
