Unthinkable has happened; but that 's the beauty of the game and of life as well.
Never Give up .. and Fight Back !!
Messi magic masks Argentina's flaws in epic comeback win over Egypt
Argentina’s Lionel Messi became the first player in World Cup history to score in six consecutive knockout stage matches.
Argentina stage remarkable fightback to beat Egypt and reach World Cup last eight
Argentina's Enzo Fernandez scores their third goal
Messi in Tears of Joy !! Argentina 3-2 win against Egypt.
But Egypt came so close ... till 79 minutes of the Game; they had the game under control. Leading 2 Goals to Nil.
One of the great World Cup upsets averted. Instead Argentina completed one of the great World Cup comebacks.
Messi missed a penalty but still finished with one goal and assist
Egypt unsettled Argentina early, with Salah directing dangerous counters all night
Yasser Ibrahim opened scoring, while Haissem Hassan repeatedly troubled the right flank
At the end of the thriller ......
Lionel Messi, so often a study in cool detachment, was found crying with delight.
I never saw him doing that ... and in this manner. He narrowly escaped the exit !!
His missed penalty could have been so costly for Argentina;
instead his assist and goal in a four-minute-and-18-second spell hauled his team back level, before Enzo Fernandez sealed the deal in added time.
Within 13 minutes --- the three goals and the fate was sealed for Egypt - who gave a brilliant fight and almost snatched a remarkable victory from the world champs.
Egypt meanwhile stare into the distance in disbelief, having lost a two-goal lead that had been richly deserved.
Mo Salah bereft.
It won’t make much difference right now, but perhaps later it’ll be reassuring to know that they didn’t throw anything away today: they simply came up against a force of nature with genius in his boots.
Egypt’s Yasser Ibrahim celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta
In the first half of course ... Egypt scored a goal and then save a Messi penalty to keep the reigning champions at bay in Atlanta.
It was Messi’s second penalty miss of the tournament so far; had he scored, it would’ve been his eighth goal of the tournament and 21st across the six showpieces he’s played in.
Shobeir’s heroics continued as he denied Mac Allister a chance to equalise from Rodrigo De Paul’s cross from the right.
Egypt were beginning to frustrate Messi after his left-footed effort from the right of the box ended high and wide of the far top corner.
Shobeir produced another stunning save, this time getting down low to his left to get a hand to Julian Alvarez’s first-time shot from Nicolas Tagliafico’s close-range cut-back and turn it inches past the post.
The keeper needed a spot of treatment after stretching for that.
Yes, Argentina have Lionel Messi. And yes, they also had the referee to thank for a remarkably generous decision in this extraordinary game. But Argentina also have another quality that any World Cup-winning team needs: Fighting spirit. A willingness to fight. --- Ratnadeep Sen, Siliguri
ReplyDeleteI will say .... absolute insistence that this competition belongs to Argentina and such fighters. Nothing can get in their way. -- Pulok Das, Chennai
ReplyDeleteUnderdogs fighting for their lives, attacking genius, refereeing controversy, genuine spite, late drama. Typically of Argentina’s match winner at play. - Palit Babu, Nagaland
ReplyDeleteThis World Cup has produced some fabulous matches but this may have been the best of the lot. It had everything. Love You Football. - Tushar Bhadra, Varanasi
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