Messi Writes Another Incredible Chapter in World Cup History
The reigning world champions Argentina faced the threat of elimination from the World Cup when they trailed Egypt 2–0 with just 20 minutes remaining. On June 24, in Kathmandu, Lionel Messi’s eyes welled up with tears. In the middle of Atlanta Stadium, he buried his head on the shoulders of his teammates, overcome with emotion. Just moments earlier, those tears could have marked a painful farewell to the tournament. But by the final whistle, they had transformed into tears of relief, pride, and joy over a historic comeback.
With 20 minutes left, Argentina was down 2–0 to Egypt, facing the prospect of an early exit from the World Cup. The giant screen at the stadium showed a close-up of the 39-year-old Messi looking up in despair, a sight that weighed heavily on millions of supporters’ hearts. Many feared this might be his last match at this World Cup. But Argentina refused to give up. They scored three goals in the final 14 minutes to overturn the score to 3–2, creating one of the most thrilling comebacks in World Cup history.
What began as a night of despair ended in celebration. Despite being 39, Messi’s magic on the field remains intact. He no longer sprints as much as before and often watches the game at a measured pace. Yet his footballing brain—deciding when to run, pass, or shoot—remains one of the sharpest in the world. Egypt’s goalkeeper Mostafa Sobhi put in an extraordinary performance from the start, denying Messi’s penalty in the first half and adding pressure on Argentina.
This missed penalty was Messi’s eighth in World Cup history, making him the first player to miss two penalties (excluding shootouts) in the same World Cup match. When Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Ziko gave Egypt a 2–0 lead, the defending champions’ hopes seemed nearly over. But Messi’s magic soon ignited the comeback. In the 79th minute, he provided a perfect cross that Cristian Romero headed in to pull one back for Argentina. Just four minutes and 18 seconds later, Messi struck powerfully with his left foot, smashing the ball off the crossbar and into the net to level the score at 2–2. Despite Egypt’s fierce resistance, Enzo Fernández’s decisive header in injury time secured a 3–2 victory for Argentina.
As the final whistle blew, the tears shed earlier had turned into celebration. Messi’s teammates lifted him on their shoulders, and Argentine fans stayed in the stadium, singing and rejoicing long after the match. These were no longer tears of defeat but of satisfaction at having once again witnessed a World Cup miracle. With this game, Messi set yet another record: he became the first player to score in six consecutive World Cup knockout matches. His eight goals in the ongoing tournament are the best since Gerd Müller’s 10 goals in the first five games of the 1970 World Cup.
Over the last nine World Cups, Messi has directly contributed to 16 goals—scoring 13 and assisting three. Argentina’s win also altered the knockout stage dynamics of the competition. Had Argentina lost, England’s potential path would have been considerably easier. Now, even if England defeats Norway in the quarterfinals, they could face Messi-led Argentina on their journey to the final. Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson commented, “It was unbelievable. Argentina was almost out of the tournament, but then Messi came on and completely changed the story.”
Argentina is not a team that relies solely on Messi; it boasts talent, experience, and a relentless mentality. But when the toughest moments arrive, Messi once again proves why he is considered one of the greatest players of all time. According to statistics, when Romero scored Argentina’s first goal, their chances of winning were just 0.6 percent. Yet the world champions made the impossible possible. This match will be remembered as one of the most dramatic in World Cup history, with Lionel Messi at its heart. What started as a night of tears ended as another immortal tale in World Cup lore.