Instead of celebrating in the typical way, Argentina had their star player, Lionel Messi, lifted high in the air.
The atmosphere was electric at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium as Argentina triumphed over Egypt, coming back to win 3-2 in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup.
This was a significant moment for Messi, who has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches.
Despite the jubilant outcome, things weren’t looking great for Argentina early on. At one point, it seemed like Messi’s potential farewell to the World Cup might come sooner than expected.
Egypt had a solid lead of 2-0 late into the game, and Messi had already missed a penalty kick earlier in the half, which wasn’t exactly ideal. This marked his second penalty miss in a major international tournament, making him the only player to do so at the same World Cup. Interestingly, he had a missed shot during a previous match against Austria, although he did score in that game.
Yet, Messi made up for that missed opportunity in the second half. He assisted Cristian Romero and managed to score himself in the 79th minute, leveling the game 2-2 with a shot that bounced off the crossbar.
The mood shifted dramatically when Enzo Fernandes scored a header just two minutes into stoppage time, sealing the win for Argentina.
This match was particularly notable as it was the first time in World Cup history a team had clawed back from a two-goal deficit within the last 15 minutes to secure a win during regulation time.
For Messi, at 39, this victory was emotionally significant. He hasn’t confirmed whether this will be his last World Cup appearance.
Having participated in six different World Cups, he stands apart from Cristiano Ronaldo, who recently played his final match in the tournament after Portugal’s loss to Spain.
Argentina now aims to become the first team in decades to win consecutive World Cups, a feat last achieved by Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
With this win, they’ve advanced to the quarterfinals, where they will meet either Colombia or Switzerland in Kansas City this Saturday.
