Reigning world champions Argentina scored thrice within the span of 15 minutes to pull off a miraculous 3-2 win against Egypt to clinch their ticket to the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday.
Lionel Messi and Co. looked like they were all but done when Mustafa Ziko scored in the 67th minute, just nine minutes after his tip-in was denied by a VAR check. Then, the script flipped in a matter of minutes in a match that the underdogs Egypt had dominated. First, Messi’s cross led to a header by Cristian Romero in the 79th minute, allowing Argentina to open their account. Then, less than four minutes later, Messi salvaged his earlier penalty kick miss when he ran onto a bouncing ball in the box and volleyed to draw Argentina level.
The final blow came in injury time (93rd minute) when Lautaro Martinez delivered a sensational cross leading to an Enzo Fernandez header, giving the Argentines the decisive 3-2 win, leaving Egyptian fans in a state of shock.
Argentina ‘Didn’t Deserve to Win’
Although Argentina won fair and square, French legend Thierry Henry had some harsh words for Lionel Messi and Co. after their Round of 16 win.
“For me, this feels like football robbery in broad daylight,” Henry said during FOX’s postmatch broadcast (h/t X account SethOfficial).
“I’m not taking anything away from Argentina’s quality because they have world-class players, but I don’t think they deserved to win this match,” added the 1998 World Cup champion. “Egypt worked incredibly hard to build a two-goal lead. They defended with courage, attacked with confidence and earned every bit of that advantage.
Did Argentina Benefit from Officating?
Egypt was denied a 3-0 lead in the 58th minute when Ziko’s goal was disallowed after a VAR review. There were several other instances when the refereeing seemed to favor the world champions, reckons Henry, who feels Egypt was robbed. Henry also feels that Messi shouldn’t have been awarded a penalty kick in the first half.
“The turning point, in my opinion, was the refereeing,” stressed Henry.
“I didn’t agree with the penalty that was awarded to Argentina earlier in the game, and after that it felt as though every important decision was going against Egypt. Whether people agree or disagree, those moments changed the rhythm of the match and gave Argentina the momentum they desperately needed,” he added.
“Egypt will leave this tournament feeling heartbroken because they were so close to one of the greatest victories in their history. Sometimes football is decided by brilliant moments, and sometimes it’s decided by controversial decisions.
“Tonight, I believe the officiating will be discussed just as much as the football itself.”
Messi felt he let his team down when he missed a penalty kick in the first half and needed to salvage himself, which he ultimately did with his 83rd-minute equalizer.
“Yes, truly it was a relief, a relief for everyone,” he said after the win. “As I just said, I was very angry about the missed penalty, about how I kicked it. I felt that at an important moment I had let the group down, and well, luckily, God once again had something special in store for me at the end.”
Argentina will next face Switzerland in the quarterfinal on Saturday, with the winner facing either England or Norway in next week’s semifinal.
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