MIAMI, JUL 7 /DNA/ – In a contest that will be etched into World Cup folklore, Argentina came back from the dead to defeat a heroic Egypt 3-2 in the Round of 16 at Hard Rock Stadium. Lionel Messi, at 39 years old, produced a second-half masterclass of dribbling wizardry and unrivalled vision to overturn a two-goal deficit and keep the defending champions’ hopes alive in what is already being called the match of the tournament.
Egypt, roared on by a deafening contingent of travelling fans, stunned the Albiceleste with two first-half goals from their own living legend, Mohamed Salah. The Liverpool icon broke the deadlock in the 14th minute, ghosting in behind the Argentine backline and bending a sublime finish past Emiliano Martínez. The stadium erupted again eight minutes before half-time when Salah pounced on a loose ball at the edge of the box and rifled a shot into the top corner, leaving Argentina shell-shocked and facing a humiliating early exit.
Trailing 2-0 at the break, the pre-match favourites needed inspiration – and Messi delivered a half of football that defied his years. Within seven minutes of the restart, the captain slalomed past three Egyptian defenders as if they were training cones, drawing gasps from the crowd. Though his shot was parried, Julián Álvarez was on hand to smash home the rebound and ignite the comeback.
What followed was a relentless wave of Argentine pressure, orchestrated entirely by their number 10. In the 67th minute, Messi received the ball near the right touchline, dropped a shoulder to leave Hamdi Fathi stranded, nutmegged a second defender, and floated a delicate chip into the path of substitute Lautaro Martínez, who was hauled down inside the area. Messi stepped up to take the penalty himself and rolled it nonchalantly down the middle as the goalkeeper dived away, making it 2-2.
Egypt refused to wilt, with Salah rattling the crossbar from a free-kick moments later. But the night belonged to Messi. With five minutes of normal time remaining, he produced the trick that will dominate highlight reels for decades. Receiving a pass with his back to goal on the edge of the box, he executed a no-look backheel volley that took out the entire Egyptian defence and sent the ball into the path of Enzo Fernández. Fernández’s first-time cross was met by a diving header from Nicolás González, sparking wild celebrations as the ball nestled in the net to make it 3-2.
Egypt threw everything forward in the dying minutes, including goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, but Argentina held on through eight tense minutes of stoppage time. At the final whistle, players from both sides collapsed on the turf, having given everything in a breathtaking spectacle.
“This is why he is the greatest of all time,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said of Messi. “At 2-0 down, many teams would have collapsed. But he simply refused to lose. The tricks, the skill, the leadership – it was a privilege to watch.”
A gracious Salah, who embraced Messi at full-time, called it “the most painful and yet the most beautiful game I’ve ever played in. He is a magician. We had them, but he did things tonight that are not normal.”
With its breakneck pace, six yellow cards, two posts hit, and a career-defining performance from the Argentine icon, this Round of 16 classic has set an impossibly high bar for the rest of FIFA World Cup 2026. Argentina will advance to the quarter-finals, but for now, the football world just wants to catch its breath.
