Football’s unwritten rule: never underestimate Lionel Messi. Just as it seemed his ambition to guide Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup title was slipping away, the 39-year-old showcased his brilliance once more, delivering a breathtaking performance that saved his team.
With merely 11 minutes remaining, and after conceding an early header from Yasser Ibrahim followed by a second goal from Mostafa Ziko, Argentina appeared on the brink of a shocking defeat against Egypt. Mostafa Shobair, whose father, Ahmed, was the Pharaohs’ goalkeeper during the 1990 World Cup, was poised to etch a positive legacy for his family with an impressive display that thwarted every attack from the defending champions.
Messi, visibly emotional at the final whistle, had previously made history as the first player to miss two penalties in a single World Cup, but redemption was at hand. An assist from Cristian Romero provided Argentina a crucial lifeline before Messi extended his record to 21 World Cup goals with a late equalizer. This match, framed as a duel between two iconic No. 10s, saw Mohamed Salah inadvertently contribute to his team’s downfall by losing possession, leading to Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández scoring the winning header from Lautaro Martínez’s cross. Egypt protested, believing a foul occurred during the buildup, but their hopes were dashed.
Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scaloni, had warned his players to stay vigilant following a narrow escape against Cape Verde in the prior round, implementing three changes from their extra-time victory in Miami. Julián Alvarez was reinstated in the attack, replacing Lautaro Martínez, while Egypt adjusted their lineup with two modifications from their historic penalty shootout victory over Australia, opting for Haissem Hassan instead of Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush.
Hossam Hassan’s squad entered the tournament without a World Cup finals victory in their previous three attempts, dating back to their first-round exit in 1934. After finally breaking that streak, the seven-time African champions aimed to make a significant impression and started the match perfectly.
Leandro Paredes was quick to clear a dangerous free kick from Marwan Attia in the early minutes. However, Argentina ignored the warning signs. In the 15th minute, Mohamed Hany secured a corner, and Ibrahim connected with Attia’s cross to deliver a powerful header, igniting jubilant celebrations among the Egyptian bench.
Another chance arose when Hassan fouled Nicolas Tagliafico in the penalty area, prompting the French referee to award a penalty. Yet again, Messi was unable to convert, as Shobair expertly saved his poorly executed shot. Despite being one of the game’s greats, Messi’s 50% success rate from penalties in World Cup matches leaves much to be desired.
Shobair, who recently claimed the starting position over veteran Mohamed El Shenawy after impressive performances for Al Ahly, made a crucial save against Alexis Mac Allister, escalating Argentina’s frustrations. A curling free-kick from Messi hit the outside of the post before Shobair managed to deny a close-range attempt from Alvarez, who was set up by Tagliafico. This marked the first time Argentina had trailed at halftime in a World Cup match since their 4-0 loss to Germany in the 2010 quarter-finals.
Despite no visible improvement after the break, Scaloni found relief when the video assistant referee disallowed a stunning breakaway goal from Ziko following a brilliant run by Hossan and a precise pass from Salah. Replays revealed that Attia had tugged Lisandro Martínez’s shirt almost 30 seconds prior to the goal. However, Egypt soon found success again as Hossan evaded Nahuel Moilna and set up Ziko, who finished past Emi Martínez.
Suddenly, Argentina was facing imminent defeat. In classic style, Messi stepped up, connecting with Romero’s pinpoint cross to reduce the deficit. The roar that followed was eclipsed only by his equalizer just four minutes later. With Egypt failing to clear the ball, Messi seized his moment, striking with precision even as Shobair got a hand on it but couldn’t prevent the goal. The match was far from over.
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