Argentina vs Egypt Highlights - 2026 FIFA World Cup - Round of 16

Argentina make for interesting reading because Lionel Scaloni has altered the side in three positions, Nicolas Tagliafico for Facundo Medina at left back, Leandro Paredes in for Tiago Almada who used to call the stadium home in his Atlanta United days and Julian Alvarez preferred to Lautaro Martinez in attack. It's a record-extending 31st World Cup appearance for Lionel Messi. Egypt know they can become the fifth different African team to reach the last eight. They have Mohamed Lachine available again after suspension. He takes the place of Hamdi Fatih. The one surprise is the inclusion of Haissem Hassan for his maiden competitive start with Omar Mahmoud who's had a disappointing tournament dropping out. Mohamed Salah with 68 goals for Egypt. What a gallister. De Paul with freedom for Argentina. Offside flag was up. Arriving on the scene was Fernandes. Let's just give Enzo Fernandes the benefit of the doubt and say that he knew it was offside because this is an incredible miss. Yes, it's fired at him. It's easier to score the miss in there but behind the left back there's space there looking to be 78 for Argentina. It does come in this time. It was a start made by Egypt. A goal from Yasser Ibrahim, the central defender. Argentina wounded. Ibrahim with only his second international goal and that is a turn up for the books. Well the Argentinians because it's a wonderful goal, a brilliant ball and they just don't get out to it quick enough. No step up quick enough. Argentina just attacks it brilliantly. It's a wonderful ball in. You can see the stretch. It's a fantastic head up. Just climbs high, powers it in the corner. Argentina are behind for the first time in the World Cup. It's a new question to be asked of the reigning champions. And Shearer to the deeper position to collect the ball. They knit things together. Well the challenge coming in there and it's a penalty. Hassan mistimed it and Francois Letexier did not hesitate. Opportunity for Argentina to level matters straight away. It was apparently a reaction initially and there's the gap in behind the fullback again. He's gone too late to press the ball. Whether he's onside or not isn't in doubt and then as soon as he doesn't make contact with the ball there's no real decision for Francois Letexier to make. It's a plaguing penalty. Late. He got there when he could. He was just too late and an immediate response from Argentina. All eyes on Lionel Messi. Oh it's saved by Shearer. Goodness gracious me. Messi denied. Argentina foiled. High drama here. Brilliant from Shearer. He's gone early but he's gone hard and he had to. There's a booking on the bench from the reaction for the tackle but tensions and emotions are running high here in Atlanta. That was a phantom. The best in the world. Gone early but it's close to him. He's a good height and to be honest it's not. Record scorer for Egypt. Also their coach. Missed the moment again. Space aborted. Rodrigo de Paul tantalizing one for Canister. What a header saved by Shabir. At the minute Egypt can't deal with the players getting in there. It's a fantastic save. Just be set. Be ready. So Alexey Makalov got a really good. Argentina need inspiration. Messi and across went Shabir. Give him a corner but he hit the post. He had it judged to perfection there Shabir. Well that was the initial corner given but now it's gone the other way. Let's see this time. It was that distance. It allowed him to get all the way across and I'll tell you what if you're on your game as a keeper that is unbelievable judgment. I don't think I've ever done that in my life. What are we going to do with ourselves? I'm not sure. Now Messi play rating on Lionel Messi. Oh not what he had planned in his mind. It's an opening more by luck than anything else. Diego Simeone in attendance. Doesn't apply just to Argentinians either. Masiparedes. Wasn't a bad idea. Oh it's another save from Shabir. Alvarez with that instinctive attempt. What a brilliant from Shabir. It's a connection that he could have hoped for. Alvarez and then down to his left hand side. Just looking at the power through his legs that gives him the strength into the arm and he's injured himself in the process. He's shocked himself that he's made the save. There's a jolt through his shoulder that's given him the problem. See his reaction there now. He didn't know he was going to make that save. That is goalkeeping of the highest order. In by Messi. Safe pair of hands. Shabir who has been immaculate. Six minutes of stoppage time now. Messi all the way on towards McAllister but there is a heroic figure in this first half. Shabir and Messi. Those distinctive steps. Hernandez and Messi and the one-two. Messi laying it off at the shop from De Paul. Two straight. It's a turn of the table isn't it? Yeah. Chipped in by Messi and he was happy to punch it away Shabir. He's been taking most things cleanly. Here's Paredes and Paredes the varying things have plenty of power. Not quite. Yeah plenty of time as well from here this was Mo Salah. He's not getting that touch that he needed but the opening the tension possibility was there. Shabir's gonna have a lot of pressure on him. He's left footed the second guest himself. Tobias Fico has gone busted through and direct play there from Argentina McAllister. Was the option in the middle. So came off the head. No not looking for it. Desperate for it. Hassan and this is very much part of his game. It's a fabulous run and Mohamed Salah and is it going to be a second goal? It is. Zico. This is astonishing. And this has Egypt dreaming of a sensation but how about this incident? Well it's so far away from the goal. That's a big question. It's a step on the toes. It's barely anything. What a moment this is. It's a full length of the pitch away. Is it within the remit of VAR to step in? Look how far away it is from within the goal. They're going in fast motion to say this is how long it takes to score the goal. Surely this is not within VAR's remit to review this. It's the full length of the pitch away. After review KLS tripping committed by number 19 of Egypt in the offensive phase. Final decision is goal cancelled free kick. Well you heard it. Free kick to the attack but now did they overdo it in terms of personnel? Argentina can't mess around with Salah in the vicinity. Hassan ball play. This time Zico and surely that won't be taken away. Egypt are jumping for joy. And the storm clouds are brewing for Argentina. Well Egyptian elation and it's the length of the pitch again. They've defended brilliantly in this second half and it's down to Mo Salah just getting his legs going. Just move, move, move. And if you look at Hassan he knows. He knows where Zico is. He knows where his teammates going to make the run. Just leave the ball. Wait for him and it's met perfectly. It is a blueprint on how to execute a take or a breakaway goal. Egyptian elation. They have one taken away from them. Not this time. What a moment in the tournament. An eruption of Egyptian joy. Argentinian melancholy. It's slipping away from the reigning champions. Oh what a story. Ball in there. Alvarez dishing it off. Messi was in position. And that is exactly what Argentina needed. Cristian Romero holds them back into it. Egyptian players having something to say about that. Well he's onside and it's a great header. Powerful header from him. Just steals a yard off Rami up. Shabbir's had a game of his life but just can't get enough of a hand onto it. It is the makeshift centre forward. It is Romero that comes up with an answer. Just throw it in there. Nothing clever about it. It gives them a lifeline. Guaranteed. Messi. Good luck trying to stop him. That's out of position. Martial Martinez and others all queuing up. Messi's work. Well he saw a gap. He saw a moment, an inch and then was away. Martinez just can't cue the header right beyond the far near post and there he has to get it back across goal and he's not got the angle. In Kansas City on Saturday. They're trying to link the play again using Lionel Messi. Deflection there. On the way through until they line something up here. Argentina. Oh it's gone in. It's turned around. Who else? Lionel Messi. The saviour for Argentina. A comeback when they needed it. Engineered by the man regarded as the greatest of them all. Well you just can't write him out the script. It could have gone anywhere. It's Alvarez with the layup and it's an instinctive finish. He just hits it as sweet as you can. The technique is perfect on the half volley. Laces through the ball. It's what a picture. What a moment of a player who just keeps writing his own script. Xabier's had the game of his life. He gets his hand to it again but he can't stop it. This game just keeps on giving. From the depths of despair. But they've just got to hold on now. Messi taking it. The callister making that run across. It was pushed away by Xabier. It didn't fall. Julian Alvarez. Lautaro Martinez. Sending it over. Enzo Fernandez. Can you believe this? Egypt are asking the question about something that happened at the other end. Argentina played on and Enzo Fernandez has perhaps scored the goal that keeps the defending world champions alive. The complaints continue meanwhile. From the brink of elimination. This is the potential penalty. It's a slip. It's nothing more. Mo Salah tackled at one end and then it was a blistering counter-attack. He's thinking the opportunity has taken away. But the quality on the ball in the run from Enzo Fernandez and the poise to meet that ball and just guide it back across the goal. In the biggest of moments. In the biggest of stages. In one of the biggest comebacks. It is the game of the tournament. It has had everything. A thriller in the extreme. Argentina looked as though they were heading out. But they had their own views on that subject. It's a 0-1 for Egypt and well the red card being flashed there and yellow for Xabier. They had all surrounded the referee. They were all convinced the reigning kings of world football will not relinquish the throne.