Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni was overwhelmed with emotion after his side staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 in the FIFA World Cup round of 16 on July 7, 2026, in Atlanta. Trailing 2-0 in the 67th minute, Argentina scored three goals in 13 minutes to seal an unforgettable victory and a spot in the quarterfinals. Scaloni hailed 39-year-old Lionel Messi, saying the World Cup-winning icon "plays the sport for moments like these."
Scaloni's Emotional Reaction
Speaking to reporters after the match, Scaloni admitted to getting emotional in the dressing room. "I always get emotional. Sometimes the tears come out. The tears came in the dressing room too. The boys even call me 'the cry baby,' but I do not care," Scaloni said, as quoted by Reuters. He added, "For all of us who played soccer for 20 years, to feel what we felt today again is incredible. I think most coaches who played soccer become coaches because of days like this, because of those emotions, that adrenaline."
Never Lost Faith Despite Deficit
Despite being two goals down, Scaloni insisted he never felt the game had slipped away. "I always felt the game was on our side. Beyond the result, I don't think the team was playing badly. We had chances," he said. He contrasted this performance with Argentina's previous round of 32 match against debutants Cabo Verde, which went to extra time and ended 3-2 on an own goal. "Against Cape Verde, it was worse, we really looked in trouble. Today, even when it was 0-2, the feeling was that at some point we would get a chance and could turn it around. Today we played totally different soccer," Scaloni explained.
Praise for Messi
Scaloni reserved special praise for Messi, who scored once and provided an assist despite missing a first-half penalty. Messi's goal took his World Cup tally to eight in the tournament and 21 all-time. After the match, Messi was seen in tears of joy. "I am convinced that he plays soccer for moments like this... For him to feel these emotions at this stage of his career is hard to explain," Scaloni said. "It was an unforgettable moment, one of the best. Whatever happens from here on, this team gives me the feeling that it never stops believing, even when everything is going against it."
Match Summary
Egypt stunned Argentina early when Yasser Ibrahim headed home from Marwan Attia's corner in the 15th minute. Argentina had a chance to equalize 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 hit the crossbar with a free-kick as Egypt led 1-0 at halftime.
Egypt thought they had doubled their lead early in the second half through Mostafa Ziko, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review. However, Ziko scored in the 67th minute from a swift counterattack involving Mohamed Salah and Haissem Hassan, making it 2-0.
Argentina responded with attacking substitutions. Cristian Romero reduced the deficit in the 79th minute, heading in Messi's free-kick. Four minutes later, Messi equalized with a powerful strike from the edge of the box that clipped the goalkeeper's gloves and the underside of the crossbar. 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 3-2 victory.
Quarterfinal Berth
The win sends Argentina into the quarterfinals, where they will face the winner of the round of 16 clash between Switzerland and Colombia, scheduled for July 8.
