Argentina’s dramatic comeback against Egypt sparked emotional scenes on and off the pitch and left the crowd in tears. Lionel Messijubilant teammates and ecstatic fans celebrate one of the greatest escapes of 2026 in Buenos Aires fifa world cup.Celebrations broke out after the defending champions overturned a two-goal deficit in the final 13 minutes to beat Egypt 3-2 in the last 16 on Tuesday. From Messi breaking down in tears, to his teammates lifting their captain into the air, to the wild scenes of dancing, singing and water showers in the dressing room, this victory was as much about relief as it was football.
Messi’s tears, locker room party capture Argentinian’s emotions
Argentina were on an emotional roller coaster during the game. In the 67th minute, trailing 0-2, elimination seemed inevitable. What followed was a surprising revival, with Cristian Romero, Messi and Enzo Fernandez all scoring within 13 minutes to complete a remarkable comeback.The final whistle released months of emotion. Messi cried tears of joy as teammates hugged him before lifting their captain over their shoulders. Several players also broke down on the pitch after going through one of the toughest tests of their title defense.After the game, the celebrations in the locker room continued for a long time. Players danced, sang loudly, waved their shirts in the air and splashed water on each other in scenes that reflected the scale of the escape. A relieved smile appeared on Messi’s face, watching his teammates soak in this unforgettable moment.The Argentine Football Association also shared a celebration video, thanking the players for their fighting spirit and determination to never give up, and praising the team for doing their best to defend the national color.
Incredible comeback keeps World Cup dream alive
Egypt beat Argentina early on when Yasser Ibrahim scored with a header from Marwan Attiyah’s corner kick in the 15th minute. Messi then missed a penalty and goalkeeper Mustafa Schauber made a series of fine saves to deny Alexis McAllister and Julian Alvarez before the captain’s free-kick hit the crossbar.The Pharaohs looked to have secured victory in the 67th minute when Mostafa Ziko completed a quick counterattack to make it 2-0 thanks to good work from Mohamed Salah and Haissem Hassan.But Argentina refused to surrender. Romero headed home Messi’s free kick in the 79th minute and the captain equalized four minutes later with a thunderous strike. In stoppage time, Fernandez calmly shot into the bottom corner, completing a wonderful reversal of 3-2.The dramatic win set the stage for a quarter-final tie with Switzerland on July 12, and celebrations spread far beyond the stadium, with incredible scenes playing out across Buenos Aires as supporters took to the streets to celebrate another unforgettable World Cup night.
