Argentina captain Lionel Messi admitted he felt he had “let the team down” after missing a first-half penalty but said he was grateful to have redeemed himself by scoring the equaliser in Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16.
Messi’s missed spot-kick marked the fourth unsuccessful non-shootout penalty of his FIFA World Cup career, the most by any player in the tournament’s history. With Argentina trailing 2-0 midway through the second half, the defending champions looked on the verge of a shock exit before producing a stunning late fightback through Cristian Romero, Messi and Enzo Fernández.
Reflecting on the emotional night, Messi said he was frustrated after failing from the penalty spot.
“Yes, truly it was a relief, a relief for everyone. I was very angry about the missed penalty, about how I kicked it. I felt that at an important moment I had let the group down,” Messi said.
“But luckily, God once again had something special in store for me at the end. I was able to score the equalising goal, a very big relief and an enormous happiness for us and for these people who came once again and demonstrated what we are as Argentines,” he added.
The Argentina captain also praised his teammates for refusing to surrender despite facing a two-goal deficit.
“I have said it many times, and I repeat it often. This is a team that competes, that always gives their all, that never gives up and never lowers its arms,” he said.
Egypt stunned the reigning champions by taking the lead through Yasser Ibrahim in the 15th minute before goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir denied Messi from the penalty spot. Shobeir also produced fine saves to frustrate Argentina, while Messi struck the crossbar with a free-kick as Egypt carried a 1-0 lead into half-time.
After Mostafa Ziko doubled Egypt’s advantage in the 67th minute, Argentina mounted a remarkable comeback. Romero headed home from Messi’s free-kick before the captain fired in the equaliser four minutes later. Deep into stoppage time, Fernández calmly slotted home the winner to complete one of the tournament’s most dramatic turnarounds.
The victory sends Argentina into the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals, where they will face the winners of the Round of 16 clash between Switzerland and Colombia.
