Trailing 2-0 with 11 minutes remaining, Argentina scored three goals in quick succession, with Enzo Fernández netting the 3,000th goal in World Cup history to save Lionel Messi’s tournament career.
Argentina pulled off a miraculous late comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 at Atlanta Stadium on Monday, scoring three goals in the final 11 minutes of normal time to break Egyptian hearts and save Lionel Messi’s international career.
Egypt stunned the favourites early when defender Yasser Ibrahim powered home a header from a well-worked set-piece in the 15th minute. Argentina was thrown a lifeline minutes later with a penalty, but Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir made a spectacular diving save to deny Messi. Egypt thought they went 2-0 up via Mostafa Ziko, but VAR ruled it out for a foul in the build-up. Undeterred, Egypt launched a blistering counter-attack spearheaded by Mohamed Salah and Haissem Hassan, allowing Ziko to legitimately score their second goal.
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Cristian Romero sparked the resurrection in the 79th minute, heading home a cross from Messi. Messi redeemed his earlier error in the 83rd minute, firing a fierce half-volley off the crossbar and in to equalize with his eighth goal of the tournament. In stoppage time, substitute Lautaro Martínez swung a cross to Enzo Fernández, who buried a bullet header to complete the comeback. The dramatic winner marked the 3,000th goal in FIFA World Cup history.
Argentina finished with 13 shots, six on target, while Egypt managed nine shots, three on target. Argentine possession stood at 62 percent compared to Egypt’s 38 percent.
Opta win-probability metrics revealed Argentina had just a 0.6 percent chance of winning right before Romero’s 79th-minute goal. It stands as the latest a team has ever trailed by 2+ goals in normal time and still won a World Cup match without going to extra time.
According to a report by Accra Street Journal, Messi’s equalizer means he has now scored in a record-breaking nine consecutive World Cup matches across the 2022 and 2026 editions. Argentina advances to the quarter-finals where they will play Switzerland.
Source: Accra Street Journal
Last Updated on July 8, 2026 by Samuel Kwame Boadu
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Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Accra Street Journal, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.
