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On the ropes and at the brink of elimination, Lionel Messi and Argentina mounted one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history.
Argentina eliminated Egypt, 3-2, in a late-game surge. After an early goal from Ibrahim in the 15th minute, and a missed penalty by Messi just minutes later, Ziko scored what seemed like an insurance goal in the second half, but it wasn't enough for the Pharohs.
Messi spearheaded a late-game comeback following the second hydration break. He crafted the first goal for Cristian Romero in the 790th minute and scored the equalizer only four minutes later. Argentina finished the comeback in stoppage time, Lautaro Martinez connecting with Enzo Fernandez for the game-winner.
For a second consecutive round, Argentina flirted with elimination. The defending champions needed extra time to get past Cape Verde in the round of 32, and now La Albiceleste is onto the World Cup quarterfinals after a wild late-game performance against Egypt to preserve their bid for back-to-back titles.
"It was a relief for everybody. I was very upset with the missed penalty. If I had made the penalty, the dynamic of the game would have been different," Messi said after the game.
"We were fine … After the penalty, we created chances … In the second half, we had some [chances] and we couldn't make them … Cuti's changed everything. There, we felt we were going to do it, that we were going to tie it. I thought we were going to win it in extra time, but luckily, we didn't need to go to extra time … It was another display of the group's character and how proud I am to be part of this team."
Egypt's game plan almost worked
Mohammed Salah and the Pharohs executed a brilliant defensive game plan for roughly an hour against Argentina, and it nearly worked. After a rhythmless opening 15 minutes, the emotional roller coaster started with an opening goal by Yasser Ibrahim off a set-piece.
Egypt had done a good job of catching Argentina's defensive shape out of position at moments. Argentina immediately looked for a quick response, but were denied by Egypt's goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir multiple times, and he came up with a massive moment just minutes after the opening goal.
Argentina's quick response ultimately led to a penalty. But Messi's World Cup legend also includes a mixed record at the spot, and his eighth World Cup penalty attempt was stopped by Shobeir. Messi has missed four of his eight tournament attempts and is the only player to miss two penalty attempts in the same World Cup. The penalty save was enough motivation for Egypt to hang onto the narrow lead into halftime.
Into the second half, Egypt maintained momentum, and even had a counterattacking goal called back by a controversial VAR decision just ahead of the hour mark, but the Pharaohs didn't let the moment slip. They picked another perfect moment for a quick transition just minutes later, and this time, Ziko's goal stood.
But what could have been an insurance goal and a moment of hope rolled into a second hydration break and eventual heartbreak for Egypt.
Messi better than a Houdini escape act
Out of the second hydration break, the reigning World Cup champions were down two goals to a nation that had not won a World Cup knockout match before defeating Australia in the round of 32. Messi's soccer god-tier mode was activated, and despite some fleeting attempts to defend, it's hard to contain seismic momentum shifts.
The breakthrough for Argentina took nearly 80 minutes, and with Egypt just 11 minutes away from one of the biggest upsets in tournament history, Messi began writing more chapters in the story of his legacy. In the 79th minute, after whipping in two crosses, Messi's additional attempt at another ball finally broke through with a header by Cristian Romero.
The panic immediately set in for Egypt, despite the substitutions to try and maintain a defensive stronghold; they were powerless against Messi's next act. An equalizer in the 83rd minute.
Argentina's game-winner eventually came in stoppage time, and was a moment that sent the stadium and sidelines into a rapture. A defensive duel that led to a quick counter with Lautauro Martinez connecting with Enzo Fernandez on the opposite end.
Despite the earlier efforts by Egypt, which had maintained composure, they looked fully in meltdown mode. There were yellow cards issued on the sidelines to the Pharaohs bench, and what was once an unthinkable upset turned into a remarkable comeback instead.
"Today, what the group did was crazy. To come back from 2-0 in a World Cup knockout game," Messi said.
"Nobody gives you anything … This group showed again that it competes, never puts its arms down … It's what it always shows, competing until the end."
Messi's road continues
While the 39-year-old has not outright announced or confirmed that this is his final World Cup as a player, there's a quiet understanding that it could be. Messi's ability to resurrect a lifeless performance from the shadows of death is something only legends can do.
Argentina is still standing, despite getting knocked down in various moments over their two knockout rounds. They've shown they can leak goals, and remind us that it doesn't matter because of the supreme being that is Messi. Repeatedly doing all the things that Argentinian devotees have come to expect from him. Now they move on once more.
A quarterfinal date with Switzerland on July 11 at Kansas City awaits.
"I've said it many times; I appreciate the love of the entire world that I already received, even more when it's from colleagues … I'm happy, proud to compete next to this group. It's something very nice to experience … Very happy," Messi said.
