Overview
- Argentina overturned a 2-0 deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 in the World Cup Round of 16 after a late fightback that began with a Romero header created by Lionel Messi.
- Messi set up Cristian Romero’s 79th-minute goal, scored an 83rd-minute equaliser from outside the box, and earlier had a penalty saved by Egypt keeper Mostafa Shobeir.
- The goal was Messi’s eighth of this tournament and extended his World Cup scoring run to nine consecutive matches while raising his career totals to 21 World Cup goals and 125 international goals.
- Team reaction mixed praise and warning: teammates called Messi the best and credited his leadership, while commentators including Zlatan Ibrahimovic urged the squad to shoulder more responsibility.
- Argentina now face Switzerland in the quarter-finals in Kansas City on July 12, a match that will test whether Scaloni’s side can reduce dependence on Messi and deliver more contributions from other players.