Messi rescues Argentina with goal and assist in four-minute comeback against Egypt

Lionel Messi dragged Argentina back from the brink at the 2026 World Cup, scoring and setting up goals in a breathless four-minute spell to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Egypt and seal a 3-2 victory that sends the defending champions into the quarterfinals.

The match had looked bleak for Argentina when Moustafa Ziko extended Egypt’s lead in the 67th minute, and Messi had already been denied from the penalty spot for the second consecutive game. But the 39-year-old refused to let the tournament end there.

In the 79th minute, Messi lifted a cross to the back post that Cristian Romero headed past goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir. Four minutes later, a loose ball in the box dropped to Messi’s feet and he struck it cleanly — Shobeir got a touch, but could only divert it off the bar and into the net. Enzo Fernández then completed the turnaround with a header in the 90th minute to send Argentina through.

Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović, both former FC Barcelona teammates of Messi and analysts for the tournament, were unsurprised by what they witnessed. “He reminded us that he’s human,” Henry said. “And then he reminds us again that he’s not human. What happened with Leo is that sometimes — do not wake up the beast.”

Ibrahimović was equally struck by the shift in Messi’s body language as Argentina fell further behind. “You could see he wanted it when it was 0-2, something changed,” he said. “He took command, he took the ball. He was after something, you could see it. He was on a mission. He will not let go. He did not want to leave this tournament.”

The victory means Messi has now played every minute of Argentina’s two knockout-round fixtures — 210 minutes plus stoppage time across five days, including an extra-time win over Cape Verde on Friday. He has delivered his most decisive contributions in the closing stages of each match.

“He’s just unstoppable,” Henry said. “This is Hollywood stuff. It’s almost like when you script that, it’s a movie that will never happen in real life. This guy writes history with his feet. It’s unreal.”

At 39, and potentially in his final World Cup, Messi continues to find ways to make the improbable routine. Argentina will face a quarterfinal opponent knowing their captain has already demonstrated he saves his best for when the stakes are highest.