Defending champions overturn a two-goal deficit as Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernández send Argentina into the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals
Lionel Messi produced another unforgettable World Cup performance on Tuesday, inspiring defending champions Argentina national football team to a remarkable 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt national football team and a place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.
Also read: Messi nears return in major Argentina injury boost
Trailing 2-0 with just over 20 minutes remaining in the Round of 16 tie at Atlanta Stadium, Argentina looked destined for a shock exit before Messi sparked an extraordinary revival by creating the opening goal, scoring the equaliser and watching Enzo Fernández net a dramatic stoppage-time winner.
Egypt stunned the reigning world champions by taking the lead through Yasser Ibrahim in the 15th minute before Mostafa Ziko doubled the advantage in the 67th minute, leaving Argentina facing one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.
Argentina’s fightback began in the 79th minute when Cristian Romero headed home from Messi’s delivery to halve the deficit.
Four minutes later, Messi unleashed a powerful strike to restore parity after an otherwise frustrating evening that had included a missed first-half penalty.
With extra time looming, Fernández completed the stunning turnaround in added time, scoring the decisive goal to keep Argentina’s title defence alive and send the South American giants into the last eight.
The victory continued Argentina’s trend of growing stronger in knockout matches after another hard-fought 3-2 win over Cape Verde in the previous round.
Messi’s decisive contribution also strengthened his case in the race for the tournament’s Golden Boot.
Also read: Messi’s positive push drives Miami to MLS Cup final showdown
Argentina will face the winner of the Round of 16 clash between Switzerland national football team and Colombia national football team in the quarter-finals as the holders continue their pursuit of back-to-back World Cup titles.
Victory Emmanuel is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
