Argentina’s dramatic comeback against Egypt sparked emotional scenes on and off the pitch, as Lionel Messi, his jubilant teammates and jubilant fans in Buenos Aires celebrated one of the greatest escapes of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.After coming back from a two-goal deficit in the last 13 minutes to beat Egypt 3-2 in their round of 16 match on Tuesday, the world champions exploded in celebration. From Messi breaking down in tears to his teammates lifting the captain into the air, and the raucous dressing room scenes filled with dancing, singing and showering, the win was as much about relief as it was about football.
Messi’s tears and dressing room party capture Argentina’s emotions
Argentina’s journey throughout the match was full of emotions.
With them trailing 2-0 in the 67th minute, elimination seemed inevitable. What followed was a stunning comeback as Cristian Romero, Messi and Enzo Fernandes found the back of the net within 13 minutes to record a remarkable comeback.The final whistle unleashed months of emotion. Messi was seen shedding tears of joy as his teammates embraced him before lifting the captain high on their shoulders. Many players also collapsed on the field after passing one of the toughest tests to defend their title.
The celebrations continued for a long time after the match inside the locker room. The players danced and sang at the top of their voices, waved their shirts in the air and splashed water on each other in scenes that reflected the scale of the escape. Smiling with relief, Messi watched his teammates enjoy this unforgettable moment.The Argentine Football Association also shared a video of the celebrations, thanking the players for their fighting spirit and determination to never give up, while praising the team for defending the national colors with everything they had.
An amazing comeback keeps the World Cup dream alive
Egypt surprised Argentina early when Yasser Ibrahim scored with a header from a Marwan Attia corner kick in the 15th minute. Messi then missed a penalty kick as goalkeeper Mostafa Shabir made a series of brilliant saves, also denying Alexis McAllister and Julian Alvarez before the captain hit the crossbar from a free kick.It seemed that the Pharaohs had settled the match when Mostafa Zico completed a quick counterattack in the 67th minute to make the score 2-0 after excellent work from Mohamed Salah and Hassim Hassan.
But Argentina refused to surrender. Romero scored with a header from a free kick taken by Messi in the 79th minute, before the captain equalized with a thunderous shot four minutes later. Deep into stoppage time, Fernandes calmly curled a shot into the bottom corner to complete an extraordinary 3-2 turnaround.The dramatic win set up a quarter-final clash with Switzerland on 12 July, while celebrations spread far beyond the stadium, with stunning scenes unfolding across Buenos Aires as fans flocked to the streets to celebrate another unforgettable World Cup night.