From 2-0 Down! Messi Misses Penalty but Sparks Insane 8-Minute Comeback as Argentina Stuns Egypt

ATLANTA — Defending champions Argentina staged one of the most astonishing knockout comebacks in World Cup history on Tuesday night, overcoming a two-goal deficit to defeat a resilient Egypt 3-2 at the Atlanta Stadium.

​For the first 75 minutes, it looked like the biggest upset of the 2026 tournament was written in the stars. Argentina’s night began disastrously when Lionel Messi uncharacteristically saw his early penalty saved, and things went from bad to worse as Egypt capitalized on defensive errors to storm into a shocking 2-0 lead.

​However, the world champions proved why they can never be counted out. The turning point arrived in the 79th minute when Cristian Romero rose highest to head home a corner, breathing life back into La Albiceleste. Just four minutes later, Messi completely redeemed his earlier miss with a spectacular, trademark curling effort from the edge of the box in the 83rd minute, leveling the score and sending the stadium into utter pandemonium.

​With the match seemingly destined for extra time, Enzo Fernández delivered the final knockout blow in the 92nd minute, smashing home a loose ball to complete a breathtaking 8-minute turnaround. With his crucial equalizer, Messi now sits firmly at the top of the World Cup Golden Boot race, keeping Argentina's dreams of back-to-back world titles alive.