Argentina came from behind to beat Egypt 3-2 in a dramatic 2026 World Cup last-16 match, scoring twice late on to reach the quarter-finals and bring the Pharaohs’ tournament campaign to an end.
Egypt led the defending champions for much of the contest and appeared close to producing one of the most significant results in the country’s football history.
However, Argentina struck through Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez in the final stages to overturn the deficit and secure a place in the last eight.
The decisive moment came in the third minute of added time, when Fernandez rose to meet a pass from Lautaro Martinez inside the penalty area and headed the ball into the net.
The result ended a spirited Egyptian performance in which goalkeeper Mustafa Shobeir saved a Lionel Messi penalty and Egypt scored twice against the holders.
Egypt make a confident start
Egypt began the match with purpose and took an early lead through defender Yasser Ibrahim.
The goal came after right-back Mohamed Hany delivered a cross into the penalty area, where Ibrahim met the ball with a header to give Egypt an advantage and spark celebrations among the players.
Argentina, led by Messi, had an opportunity to respond in the 19th minute when they were awarded a penalty.
But Shobeir denied the Argentina captain, producing a save that kept Egypt ahead and added to the sense that the Pharaohs could cause a major upset.
Egypt continued to challenge Argentina and had another effort ruled out when Mustafa Zico found the net. The referee consulted VAR before disallowing the goal because of a foul on Hany in the build-up.
Despite that setback, Egypt remained dangerous and were rewarded again in the 67th minute.
Zico scored a second goal against the title holders, placing Egypt in a strong position as the match moved towards its final quarter.
Argentina respond in the closing minutes
Argentina faced the prospect of a surprise elimination but began their comeback with 11 minutes of normal time remaining.
Cristian Romero reduced the deficit, giving the defending champions a route back into the match and shifting the momentum towards Messi’s side.
Argentina’s pressure continued, and Messi equalised in the 83rd minute with a powerful shot that beat Shobeir.
The goal levelled the contest at 2-2 and left Egypt facing a difficult final period after they had held a two-goal advantage.
Egypt’s defence resisted further pressure for several minutes, but Argentina found a winner in added time.
Fernandez made the decisive contribution in the 90+3rd minute, rising inside the area to convert Martinez’s pass and complete a remarkable turnaround.
Quarter-final awaits Argentina
Argentina now advance to the quarter-finals, where they will face either Colombia or Switzerland.
Colombia and Switzerland are due to meet at 23:00 Mecca time on Tuesday, with the winner set to play Argentina in the next round.
Argentina’s quarter-final will take place on Sunday, 12 July, at Kansas City Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 04:00 Mecca time.
For Egypt, the defeat brings an end to a campaign in which they pushed the World Cup holders to the limit. Their performance against Argentina, including Shobeir’s penalty save and two goals against the defending champions, will stand as a significant display despite the painful nature of the late defeat.
