Argentina complete all-time World Cup comeback and break Egyptian hearts on day four of the Round of 16

Tuesday brought the final day of Round of 16 action at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as we found out which 2 teams would advance to the Quarter Finals. To start the day off, we travel to Atlanta and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium as Argentina play Egypt, a game in which one footballing legend's World Cup career will come to an end, but will it be Lionel Messi or Mohamed Salah going home heartbroken? 

Lionel Scaloni opted to make just three changes to the starting XI that began the 3-2 win over Cape Verde. Facundo Medina and Thiago Almada came out of the lineup and were replaced by Nicolas Tagliafico and Leandro Paredes. Lionel Messi also had a new strike partner up top, with Julian Alvarez replacing Lautaro Martinez. 

Hossam Hassan opted for just the two changes to the starting XI that began the 1-1 draw and 4-2 penalty shootout win over Australia. Haissem Hassan and Mohanad Lasheen came into the lineup for today’s game, replacing Hamdy Fathy and Omar Marmoush. Mohamed Salah and Mostafa Ziko kept their strike partnership alive, while Emam Ashour is looking to add to his 2 goals at this year’s tournament. 

General view inside the stadium as the teams line up with young mascots during the national anthems before the match

Marco Bello

World Cup Round of 16 - Argentina vs Egypt

The opening 10 minutes saw both teams fail to create a single effort towards goal as they both looked to control possession and the tempo of the game. A few minutes later, though, Egypt broke the deadlock with the first chance of the game for either side. After a short corner routine, Marwan Attia put a ball into the back post, and Yasser Ibrahim got in front of Lisandro Martínez to head the ball past Emi Martínez and put Egypt 1-0 up. 

Just 5 minutes after the Egyptian goal, Argentina went down the other end, and as Nicolas Tagliafico broke in behind his defender and picked up the ball, Haissem Hassan tripped the Argentinian left back in the box, and a penalty was awarded. Lionel Messi stepped up to take it and, unbelievably, didn’t take a good penalty at all, and Mostafa Shobeir saved it comfortably to keep Egypt 1-0 up. 

Alexis Mac Allister had a huge chance to get his nation back level in the game when a brilliant cross into the box found the midfielder, but he headed his effort straight at Shobeir in goal, a chance he should have scored with no difficulty. Lionel Messi’s 30-yard free kick then struck the outside of the left post. 

Egypt's Mostafa Zico celebrates scoring their second goal

Paul Childs

Argentina looked certain to equalize 5 minutes before the half-time break when Tagliafico broke down the left wing and found Julian Alvarez in the middle of the box. The Argentina and Atletico Madrid striker had a tap-in from 6 yards out, but somehow Mostafa Shobeir scrambled across his line and made one of the saves of the tournament.  

Egypt saw out the final few moments of the first half and headed into the halftime break with a 1-0 lead over the defending champions, Argentina. It’s the first time since 2010 that Argentina has found itself losing a game at halftime at the World Cup. 

Rodrigo De Paul tested the hands of Shobeir to open the 2nd half when the midfielder had a shot from just outside the box, but it was a simple stop for Shobeir. Just before the hour mark, Egypt sent the world into silence when they broke through Argentina and doubled their lead, or so they thought. 

Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates

BRETT DAVIS

After an amazing counterattack from Egypt, Mostafa Zico slotted the ball past Emi Martinez, but after a VAR review, it was ruled that there had been a foul on Lisandro Martinez, and the goal was overturned, keeping the scoreline at 1-0. Just a few minutes after their goal, they hit Argentina on the break again, and this time the scoreline stayed 2-0. 

After an Argentina corner, Egypt hit Argentina on the counter attack and Zico found himself with a tap in past Emi Martinez to put his nation 2-0, no VAR review was ruling it out, and Lionel Messi’s World Cup career looks all but over. 

Argentina set up a chaotic and dramatic final 10 or so minutes when a Lionel Messi cross found Cristian Romero, who had a free, open header to put Argentina 2-1 down with 1-0 minutes to play. 

Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their second goal

Carlos Barria

Just a few minutes later, the game was completely turned on its head when Lionel Messi, of course, it was him, drew Argentina level. Messi’s deflected cross caused chaos in the Egyptian penalty box, and the ball fell to the little magician, who smashed a half-volley off the keeper’s hand, off the Egyptian crossbar and in to make it 2-2, and once again, Argentina have caused utter chaos in the World Cup. 

In scenes that I’m not sure words can ever do justice, with 7 minutes added on Egypt went forward but lost possession and Lautaro Martinez went down the right wing, put in a sensational ball into the box and Enzo Fernandez with a world class header finds the far corner and Argentina lead 3-2, they have come back from 2-0 down with around 10 minutes to go and lead the game 3-2. 

Argentina survives the final few minutes and completes one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history as they come back from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2 and continue their World Cup defense while, heartbreakingly, Egypt go home and Mohamed Salah’s World Cup career ends too. 

Quarterfinals Mathcups

We take a one-day break from World Cup action on Wednesday for the first time since the tournament started back in June, but World Cup action returns on Thursday as the Quarter Finals get underway, with a rematch of a 2022 World Cup Semi Final as France take on Morocco.