Argentina pulled off one of the great comebacks of this FIFA World Cup, coming from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 in a knockout clash and book a place in the quarter-finals. The reigning world champions were staring at an early exit before Lionel Messi stepped up with an equalising goal, and Enzo Fernandez struck the winner deep in injury time to complete the turnaround.
Egypt's fast start puts holders under pressure
Egypt were the better side from the opening whistle. Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico scored to give their side a 2-0 lead, and for long periods it looked like the tournament's biggest upset was on the cards. Fans inside the stadium and viewers around the world began sensing a genuine shock result, with Argentina struggling to find their rhythm against a determined Egyptian side.
Romero starts the fightback before Messi levels it
Argentina's revival began in the 79th minute when Cristian Romero pulled a goal back to make it 1-2. Just four minutes later, in the 83rd minute, Lionel Messi produced a brilliant finish to level the score at 2-2. It was his eighth goal of this World Cup and the 21st of his World Cup career, a new record in the tournament's history. Messi's goal completely changed the momentum, and Argentina began pushing hard for a winner.
Enzo Fernandez seals a memorable win in injury time
With the match drifting towards extra time, Enzo Fernandez struck a decisive goal in injury time to hand Argentina a dramatic 3-2 win. As soon as the final whistle blew, Messi was overcome with emotion and was seen with tears in his eyes. The match held extra significance for him because he had a golden chance to score in the first half, but his penalty was saved by Egypt's goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir. On another occasion, one of his strong attempts came back off the goalpost. Despite those misses, Messi eventually did what he has done for years, delivering a crucial goal at the moment his team needed it most.
Messi matches Klose's all-time record
By taking the field in this match, Lionel Messi also achieved another milestone, equalling Miroslav Klose's all-time record for the most knockout matches played in FIFA World Cup history. The record underlines just how long, and how often, Messi has carried his team through high-pressure matches on football's biggest stage.
Who Argentina face next in the quarter-finals
With this win, Argentina have secured their place in the quarter-finals, where they will face the winner of the Switzerland versus Colombia match, to be played on Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States. The reigning world champions have entered this World Cup aiming to win the title for a second consecutive time. If they manage to do so, Argentina would become only the second team in history, after Brazil's back-to-back titles in 1958 and 1962, to win consecutive World Cup crowns.
