Argentina stage stunning 3-goal comeback with 11 minutes left to beat Egypt

Defending World Cup champions Argentina pulled off a stunning comeback, scoring three goals in the final 11 minutes of regulation to defeat Egypt 3-2.

Argentina, managed by Lionel Scaloni, trailed Egypt 0-2 as late as the 79th minute of their 2026 World Cup round-of-16 match in Atlanta on Wednesday before rallying with three straight goals to advance.

Argentina conceded first when Yasser Ibrahim scored in the 14th minute, then fell further behind when Mostafa Zico added a second in the 67th minute. Egypt appeared to extend their lead in the 58th minute, but the goal was disallowed after a video review confirmed a foul on Lisandro Martinez.

Argentina began their comeback in the 79th minute when Cristian Romero headed home a cross from Lionel Messi to cut the deficit.

Messi then leveled the match in the 83rd minute, finishing with his right foot after pouncing on a loose ball in a scramble in front of goal. The strike was his eighth of the tournament, lifting him one goal clear of Kylian Mbappe of France and Erling Haaland of Norway to claim the outright lead in the scoring charts.

The winner came in stoppage time. Enzo Fernandez headed home a cross from Lautaro Martinez in the 93rd minute to complete the comeback. Argentina held on when Leandro Paredes made a crucial defensive intervention to repel Egypt's final attack before the whistle.

Messi, who had struggled in the first half but delivered a goal and an assist in the second, wept after the final whistle as if Argentina had just won the final. His teammates hoisted him into the air in celebration.

Messi had missed a penalty he won himself in the 19th minute, with Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir making the save. It was his second missed penalty of the tournament, after one against Austria in the group stage. He also struck the post with a free kick in the 31st minute.

Scaloni was also in tears after the match. "What can I say — this is an incredible team and incredible players," he said, struggling to continue.

Argentina will face the winner of the Colombia-Switzerland match in the quarterfinals in Kansas City on Sunday at 10 a.m.