Lionel Messi Reacts After Argentina’s Dramatic Comeback Win Against Egypt

Lionel Messi praised Argentina’s resilience after inspiring a remarkable 3-2 comeback win over Egypt to book a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.

Argentina looked to be heading out after falling 2-0 behind, but produced a stirring fightback. Lionel Messi led the charge with a goal and an assist before Cristian Romero’s equaliser paved the way for the South Americans to complete the turnaround.

Reflecting on the victory, the Argentina captain admitted the match had pushed his side to the limit.

Messi said, “No, to be honest, I’m really happy to have qualified, and also because of how we did it. When we were 0-2 down, the game became very difficult, and it was really exciting to come back again. We suffered a lot once more, but this is the FIFA World Cup; every game is like this, and everyone is evenly matched. All in all, I’m very happy. So I’m very happy now.”

Messi also acknowledged the emotions shared by supporters after Argentina overturned the deficit.

“Yes, I think it’s a relief for everyone, considering how the game went, because it’s not easy to come back from 0-2 down,” he said. “But as I always say, this team never gives up and always fights until the end. We were lucky that Romero scored quickly, and we still had time.

“In the end, we completed the comeback within 90 minutes. Honestly, this team’s performance in this round of the knockout stage today was insane.”

He added: “All in all, I’m very, very happy, and I’m glad that people can continue to support us, enjoy our qualification, enjoy our performance, and I hope we can continue to go further.”

Speaking afterwards to Olé, Messi described the victory as one of the most emotional moments of Argentina’s campaign.

“It’s a relief, a catharsis. We can’t end the FIFA World Cup today… We don’t want to leave,” he said.

“After Romero scored, hope was ignited in each of us.

“This team has always shown me love, and it’s a source of pride to fight alongside them.”

Beyond securing Argentina’s place in the last eight, the match saw Messi rewrite the World Cup record books once again. His goal and assist took his tournament totals to 21 goals and nine assists in 31 appearances, making him the all-time leading scorer and assist provider in FIFA World Cup history.

The Argentine great now holds a two-goal advantage over Kylian Mbappé on the competition’s scoring chart, while his nine assists move him one clear of the late Diego Maradona.

Messi also became the first player to score in six consecutive FIFA World Cup knockout matches after finding the net with Argentina chasing the game.