NewzVille Desk
Argentina came back strongly from behind with late rescue mission at Atlanta Stadium, shattering Egyptian hearts to advance to the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals. Hossam Hassan’s Pharaohs looked destined for one of the tournament’s most famous triumphs after goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Ziko put them on the brink of glory.
However, a breathless late surge from Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi, and Enzo Fernandez completely flipped the script, setting up a last-eight clash against Colombia.
The drama ignited when Ibrahim powered Egypt into a stunning early lead. From there, goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir turned into an impenetrable wall.
Shoubir looked unbeatable, spectacularly diving to deny a Messi penalty—cleverly won by Nicolas Tagliafico—before pulling off world-class stops from Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez.
Egypt believed they had doubled their cushion before the hour mark when Haissem Hassan’s blistering run set up Mohamed Salah, who teed up Ziko to score.
While VAR ruled that effort out for a foul in the build-up, Ziko would not be denied minutes later. He capped off a lethal, lightning-fast counter-attack involving Salah and Hassan to put Egypt 2-0 up.
With victory in sight for the African giants, Argentina’s championship DNA awakened. Romero initiated the fightback, Messi redeemed his penalty miss with a sublime equalizer, and Fernandez struck the decisive blow to seal an epic, unforgettable comeback.
Argentina advanced to the quarter-finals to face Switzerland, who beat Colombia.
Egypt Goals: Yasser Ibrahim, Mostafa Ziko
Argentina Goals: Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi, Enzo Fernandez
