Argentina stages historic comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 in World Cup round of 16

Argentina mounted a stunning comeback from a two-goal deficit to defeat Egypt 3-2 in the World Cup round of 16, with Lionel Messi providing a goal and an assist in a four-minute span before Enzo Fernández scored the winner in injury time. Source: The Guardian

Argentina trailed 0-2 until the 79th minute after Egypt's determined performance. Messi, who had earlier missed a penalty, assisted Cristian Romero to pull one back, then equalized himself. Enzo Fernández completed the turnaround in the 92nd minute. Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport, Marca

• Messi's penalty miss: Messi became the first player to miss two penalties in the same World Cup, yet still influenced the game decisively. Source: Sport
• Egypt's disallowed goal: A goal from Egypt was correctly disallowed by VAR, sparking controversy and accusations of match-fixing from the Egyptian camp. Source: Marca
• Brazil's elimination: Brazil was eliminated by Norway days earlier, adding context to the South American drama. Source: Globo Esporte

Media around the world hailed the comeback. Spain’s AS declared "Dios ha resucitado" (God has risen), while Marca called it a "remontada faraónica" (Pharaonic comeback). Source: AS, Marca The Guardian described it as "one of the most epic comebacks in World Cup history." Source: The Guardian French newspaper L’Équipe termed it a "miracle." Source: L’Équipe However, some outlets like Sport were critical of Argentina's overall performance, stating "Argentina sigue siendo Messi y diez más" (Argentina is still Messi and ten others). Source: Sport