Argentina beat Egypt 3-2, reach quarterfinals
Lionel Messi did it yet again at this year's World Cup. The Argentine great scored once while inspiring his team to an improbable 3-2 victory over Egypt on Tuesday despite trailing by two goals with only 11 minutes to play.
The defending champions will next face either Switzerland or Colombia in the quarterfinals on Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri.
Messi, who was in tears after the final whistle, scored his eighth goal of this year’s tournament in the 83rd minute to level the score at 2-2. It was his record-extending 21st at the World Cup.
Enzo Fernández scored the winning goal in stoppage time to complete one of the great World Cup comebacks. Cristian Romero started the rally in the 79th minute.
Argentina had trailed 2-0 on goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico. Messi also missed a chance in the first half when his penalty kick was saved by Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir. He later hit the post when the score was 1-0.
Argentina is bidding to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since Brazil did so in 1958 and 1962.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi scored his eighth goal of this year’s World Cup on Tuesday against Egypt, extending his scoring streak to nine consecutive games for Argentina and moving to the top of a tight Golden Boot race.
The 21st goal of Messi’s World Cup career came in the 83rd minute off an assist from Gonzalo Montiel, leveling the game at 2-2 and making up for a saved penalty kick in the 19th minute. Messi’s goal came only minutes after assisting on Argentina’s first score of the game - a header from Cristian Romero in the 79th minute.
Yasser Ibrahim put Egypt ahead in the 15th minute with a header. Mustafa Zico scored Egypt’s second goal in the 67th minute off an assist from Haissem Hassan.
Messi has now scored in a record nine consecutive World Cup matches dating back to Argentina’s title run in 2022. Tuesday’s goal marked his 13th in that nine-game span.
In the race for his first Golden Boot, Messi entered Tuesday’s match even with France’s Kylian Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland at seven goals each. Mbappe held the tiebreaker with two assists. England’s Harry Kane is also in the running with six goals. The goal also gave Messi a two-goal lead over Mbappe on the all-time World Cup goal leaderboard.
Messi finished second in the Golden Boot race behind Mbappe in 2022 with seven goals while leading Argentina to the title. He tied for third with four goals in 2014.
