Lionel Messi broke down in floods of tears after Argentina completed one of the most remarkable World Cup turnarounds of all time, scoring three goals in 13 minutes to snatch a 3-2 victory over Egypt and advance to the quarter-finals.
The 2022 champions were heading for a shock last-16 exit, trailing 2-0 with just over 10 minutes of normal time remaining. Then Cristian Romero’s header sparked a dramatic comeback. Messi equalised barely four minutes later, and Enzo Fernandez headed in a remarkable third to complete the escape.
“Messi wept as Argentina scored three in 13 minutes to beat Egypt, while manager Scaloni walked off in tears and Egypt accused the referee.”
At the final whistle, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni was so emotional that he walked out of a post-match interview with home broadcaster TyC Sports. Struggling for words, he wiped his eyes live on air, apologised, tapped the interviewer on the arm, and left swiftly, shaking his head.
But the drama extended off the pitch. Egypt goalscorer Mostafa Zico, in tears, claimed the match was “rigged”. He told reporters: “The referee wasn’t good, he was unfair. His injustice was clear. He persecuted us from the start of the match. He doesn’t want us to win. It was a rigged game. It wasn’t our fault. That referee… it seems like this match was rigged. We were winning 2-0, and he kept coming at us. Congratulations to Argentina on another World Cup, it seems.”
Zico had a goal ruled out in the second half when Egypt were 1-0 up, after VAR spotted a shirt pull and picked out a foul from the other end of the pitch earlier in the move. Emotions boiled over on the touchline as Egyptian players and staff protested a potential penalty decision moments before Fernandez scored the winner.
Scaloni’s side now face a daunting path ahead. England, France, Spain and Argentina remain serious contenders, while heavyweights Germany, Netherlands, Brazil and Portugal have all been knocked out.
For Messi, the tears told the story of a team that refused to die. Argentina’s great escape will be remembered as one of the tournament’s defining moments — but Egypt’s furious accusations of injustice ensure the controversy will linger long after the final whistle.