Neville clashes with Keane and Wright over Argentina's luck after Egypt comeback

Gary Neville sparked a heated debate among ITV’s punditry panel after accusing Argentina of relying on luck to survive their World Cup campaign, with Roy Keane and Ian Wright both rounding on him in defence of the reigning champions.

Argentina trailed Egypt 2-0 with 75 minutes played before staging a dramatic late recovery, with Cristian Romero and Lionel Messi drawing them level before Enzo Fernandez sealed a 3-2 win in stoppage time. It was the second consecutive knockout match in which Argentina had been pushed to the brink, having also beaten Cape Verde 3-2 after the African side took them to extra-time.

Neville acknowledged that conceding two goals in every game was unsustainable, but his suggestion that luck was a factor drew an immediate response from his co-pundits. “When you watch them against Cape Verde, you watch them against Egypt, and they’re not the two best teams in the competition, you think there’s no way this team can continue to go on riding their luck,” he said.

Keane and Wright were having none of it. Wright said he was “afraid of them” because they “don’t know when they’re beaten”, while Keane argued that the best teams do not always win the World Cup. “You don’t have to be the best, but if you’ve got fight, desire and Messi, you’ve got a hell of a chance,” Keane said.

Neville ultimately softened his stance, conceding that Argentina’s refusal to accept defeat was a quality in itself. “This team have got a spirit that is very difficult and they don’t give in,” he said, though he added: “I can’t believe they’re going to get through every game like this. They’re not playing well enough.”

Messi himself reflected on the comeback with visible emotion at full-time. “It was a relief for everyone,” he said. “It’s not easy to come back from 2-0 down, but this group never gives up; they fight until the very end. What this group did today is incredible.”

Argentina now face Switzerland in the quarter-finals. Victory there could set up a semi-final against England, who must first beat Norway. Should they go all the way, Messi and his teammates would become the first side since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup.