Argentina Deny Egypt’s Pharaohs a Place in the Quarter-Finals
Argentina will now continue their title defence in the quarter-finals, where they will face the winner between Colombia and Switzerland.
Late Goals
Argentina survived a major scare against Egypt, scoring three late goals to overturn a two-goal deficit and secure a dramatic 3-2 victory that sends the reigning champions into the World Cup quarter-finals.
The three-time winners appeared to be heading towards a shock elimination after Egypt built a 2-0 lead, but Argentina’s quality and experience proved decisive as they produced a remarkable late comeback at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The defeat ended Egypt’s historic World Cup campaign after the Pharaohs had already achieved a landmark by recording their first-ever victories at the finals.
Egypt started with confidence and took the lead in the 15th minute when Yasser Ibrahim rose highest inside the penalty area to power a header beyond Emiliano Martínez.
The goal gave Egypt belief, and they continued to frustrate Argentina with disciplined defending and quick counter-attacks.
Argentina had a chance to immediately respond after being awarded a penalty, but captain Lionel Messi was denied by goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, who produced an excellent save to maintain Egypt’s advantage.
Shobeir continued to be the difference between the two sides, making important saves to keep out efforts from Alexis Mac Allister and Julián Álvarez as Argentina struggled to break through Egypt’s organised defence.
Despite dominating possession, Argentina went into the interval behind, with Egypt holding onto a deserved lead.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Argentina increasing the pressure while Egypt remained dangerous on the break.
Egypt thought they had doubled their advantage when Mostafa Ziko found the net, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review identified a foul during the build-up. However, Egypt soon found another breakthrough.
Ziko made no mistake in the 67th minute, finishing a well-worked counter-attack involving Mohamed Salah and Haissem Hassan to put the Pharaohs 2-0 ahead.
The Comeback
Argentina responded by introducing more attacking urgency and began their comeback in the 79th minute when Cristian Romero headed home a Messi cross.
The goal changed the momentum of the contest, and the holders pushed forward in search of an equaliser.
Messi delivered once again in the 84th minute, scoring to bring Argentina level and complete a stunning recovery after they had been on the brink of elimination.
The comeback was completed deep into stoppage time when Enzo Fernández headed in the winning goal, completing one of the most dramatic turnarounds of the tournament.
Egypt continued fighting until the final whistle but could not find another equaliser, ending their impressive run with a narrow defeat.
Argentina will now continue their title defence in the quarter-finals, where they will face the winner between Colombia and Switzerland.
The remaining quarter-final fixtures have also been confirmed, with France facing Morocco, England meeting Norway, and Spain taking on Belgium on Tuesday.
For Egypt, the result was a painful ending to a campaign that showed their growing competitiveness on the global stage. Their performance against the reigning champions demonstrated their ability to challenge the world’s best teams.
The match also continued a recurring theme at this World Cup, with several teams struggling to protect comfortable leads after taking control of matches.
Argentina’s escape against Egypt was another reminder that no advantage is guaranteed in knockout football, where moments of quality can change the outcome in an instant.
