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It was almost unthinkable. Egypt had one foot in the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in their history, just weeks after recording their first-ever victory at this tournament. But three Argentina goals in a breathtaking 13-minute spell, the last from Enzo Fernández deep in stoppage time, completely flipped the script.
Argentina controlled the key statistics, yet Egypt had executed a near-perfect tactical blueprint. The seven-time African champions defended with tremendous discipline and made superb use of set pieces and counter-attacks.
Meanwhile, Argentina were left to rue yet another missed penalty from Lionel Messi—his fourth failure from eight attempts in World Cup competition, further extending his own unwanted record—and a broader failure from a deeply gifted squad to rise to the occasion when it mattered most.
By the time Messi was thwarted from the spot by Mostafa Shobeir, Egypt were already ahead. Center back Yasser Ibrahim outmuscled and outjumped Lisandro Martínez to power a header into the far corner. Shobeir then made a relatively comfortable stop from an Alexis Mac Allister header, before producing a far more impressive save from Julián Alvarez late in the first half.
Egypt fully deserved their lead at halftime, and Argentina had done little to justify even being level. Hossam Hassan's side were soon denied what would have been an extraordinary second goal, the product of Haissem Hassan's relentless run from deep on the break, teeing up Mohamed Salah, who in turn found Mostafa Ziko. The finish over Emiliano Martínez was sublime, the celebrations euphoric. Then came VAR.
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Egypt Left Broken
One of the finest would-be World Cup goals of the modern era, ruled out after a second look at a soft foul at the opposite end of the pitch. "Not saying it's wrong, but it FEELS wrong," prominent journalist Miguel Delaney wrote on X, perfectly capturing the sentiment. Still, Egypt continued doing what was working, and within seven minutes—during which Argentina fashioned no chances—had scored a legitimate second goal. The silver lining was that it was Ziko who converted, with Hassan once again the creative force behind it.
Only then, with the second hydration break passed and a quarter of the game remaining, did Argentina finally stir. First, Cristian Romero headed home from inside the box, set up by a Messi cross … 11 minutes left. Messi himself grabbed the equalizer with seven minutes to go, pouncing as Egypt failed to fully clear a cross that begged to be struck. Scoring in his sixth-consecutive World Cup knockout fixture, Messi now has 21 World Cup goals to his name. Shobeir got a hand to both Romero's and Messi's efforts and may feel he should have kept at least one out.
The momentum had decisively swung by that point, and the Argentinians silenced by Egypt's earlier heroics had roared back to life. The 92nd-minute Fernández header was the 3,000th goal in World Cup history—a fitting milestone in one of the greatest matches played across 96 years of the competition.
Opta calculated Argentina's probability of winning at just 0.6% after 78 minutes, and it marked the latest any team had trailed by two goals and still recovered to win in World Cup history.
Argentina Almost Fumbles Golden World Cup Opportunity Again
After all of that, Argentina is through to the World Cup quarterfinals once more. But the path to get here has been far more arduous than it needed to be, with the defending champions struggling in back-to-back matches against opponents few would have anticipated causing them problems.
On paper, a smooth run to the semifinals seemed assured. Group J was among the more favorable draws in a World Cup filled with similarly kind groupings for top-tier nations. The knockout bracket was heavily stacked on the opposite side, with Argentina well-positioned to potentially reach the final four without encountering a single FIFA top-10 ranked opponent.
Argentina has yet to face a truly demanding test, but in consecutive knockout matches against Cabo Verde and now Egypt, things have proven considerably more complicated than anticipated. Argentina edged both encounters 3–2, requiring extra time against the former and coming perilously close to needing it again against the latter.
Ranked just 22nd in the world after climbing the FIFA standings since the tournament began, Egypt was the strongest side Argentina has faced to date and came agonizingly close to eliminating the champions.
It raises the question of whether Argentina has had insufficient competitive preparation against quality opposition in the lead-up to the World Cup. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail, as the well-worn saying goes.
Argentina has now strung together 12 consecutive victories without defeating any opponent of real significance. Fixtures against Mauritania and Zambia in March were the unavoidable result of hastily arranged friendlies after the 2026 Finalissima against Spain was cancelled due to concerns surrounding the conflict in the Middle East. Honduras and Iceland offered little resistance in June, while the previous fall saw Argentina beat Puerto Rico and Angola.
Either Cabo Verde or Egypt claiming victory would have ranked among the greatest upsets in World Cup history, and the last genuine test this squad faced before the tournament—a qualifying trip to Ecuador ten months ago—ended in defeat.
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Perceptions of Argentina's current level appear to have been inflated by circumstance, and an overly generous route through the group stage and early knockout rounds may not be as advantageous as it once seemed, given the team clearly lacks sharpness when tested by improving opposition.
Switzerland or Colombia awaits next, a match in which Argentina will again enter as comfortable favorites on paper. But after that, either England or Norway looms, and the defensive and tactical vulnerabilities that Cabo Verde and Egypt have already exposed could be ruthlessly exploited.