Messi Sets New World Cup Record with Ninth Consecutive Match Goal
Lionel Messi continued his historic World Cup run by scoring in his ninth successive match, a tournament record, as Argentina rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta on Tuesday. The defending champions advanced to the quarter-finals, keeping their back-to-back World Cup hopes alive.
Messi's 83rd-minute equalizer marked his eighth goal of the ongoing tournament, his most prolific World Cup edition, and extended his all-time leading World Cup goal tally to 21. According to OptaJoe, he also became the first player to score in six consecutive knockout stage matches.
Argentina's Dramatic Comeback
Egypt stunned Argentina early when Yasser Ibrahim headed home from Marwan Attia's corner in the 15th minute. Argentina had an immediate chance to respond after Nicolas Tagliafico won a penalty, but goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir denied Messi from the spot. Shobeir also saved efforts from Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez, while Messi struck the crossbar with a free-kick. Egypt led 1-0 at half-time.
In the second half, Egypt thought they had doubled their lead through Mostafa Ziko, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review. However, Ziko soon made it 2-0 in the 67th minute, finishing a swift counterattack set up by Mohamed Salah and Haissem Hassan.
Messi's Redemption and Record
Argentina responded with renewed urgency after introducing attacking reinforcements. Cristian Romero reduced the deficit in the 79th minute, heading in Messi's inviting free-kick. Just four minutes later, Messi leveled the contest with a powerful strike from the edge of the box that clipped the goalkeeper's gloves and the underside of the crossbar before finding the net.
With extra time looming, Argentina completed their remarkable turnaround in stoppage time. A loose ball fell to Enzo Fernandez on the edge of the penalty area, and the midfielder calmly slotted a low finish into the bottom corner to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory. This goal was the 3000th in World Cup history, according to Opta Analyst.
Messi's Penalty Woes
Despite his heroics, Messi showed his human side by missing a penalty in the first half. He became the first player to miss two penalties in a single World Cup edition (excluding shootouts). With four missed penalties in his World Cup career, he holds the record for the most by any player. Earlier in the tournament, he also failed to convert from the spot against Saudi Arabia.
Historic Context
Messi's eight goals in this edition tie Guillermo Stabile's 1930 record for most goals in a single World Cup by an Argentina player. Argentina will face the winner of the Round of 16 clash between Switzerland and Colombia in the quarter-finals on July 8 (IST).
