Argentina 3-2 Egypt, a quarter-final place secured after a late surge in Atlanta. Lionel Scaloni stayed with the 4-1-3-2 that cruised through Group J, yet it took until the final stretch for Argentina to overpower Hossam Hassan’s disciplined 4-4-2.
Even before kick-off, the night crackled. Haissem Hassan collected a yellow card five minutes before the start for arguing with the officials, a sign of how tight Egypt intended to squeeze every detail. That edge carried into the opening exchanges.
Egypt struck first. In the 15th minute Yasser Ibrahim turned Marwan Attia’s pass into the net, punishing slack marking and handing Egypt the lead against the run of play. By the 21st minute Argentina had a route back when Nicolás Tagliafico drew a penalty. Lionel Messi stepped up, only for Mostafa Shobeir to read it and save. The miss fed belief into an Egyptian unit that had already frustrated Belgium and Iran earlier in the tournament.
Hossam Hassan doubled down on midfield bite at half-time, replacing Emam Ashour with Hamdi Fathy in the 46th minute. When Mostafa Ziko converted Haissem Hassan’s assist in the 67th minute to give Egypt a 2-0 lead, the upset felt real. Moments earlier, VAR had already denied Egypt in the 59th minute for a foul by Marwan Attia on Lisandro Martínez during the build-up, underscoring how close Argentina were to collapse.
Scaloni’s response was immediate. Nicolás González and Lautaro Martínez entered in the 66th minute to stretch the back line, and Gonzalo Montiel followed in the 73rd minute to refresh the flank. From there Argentina finally found rhythm. Cristian Romero scored in the 79th minute with Messi supplying the assist, a centre-back’s finish sparking belief. Four minutes later, Messi levelled the tie in the 83rd minute after Montiel ran the right channel and delivered the pass. The coup de grâce arrived in the 90th minute when Enzo Fernández finished Lautaro Martínez’s cut-back to complete the turnaround.
Egypt lost control amid the onslaught. Shobeir, Hamdi Fathy and Marwan Attia were booked in stoppage time, reflecting the frayed emotions. Scaloni sealed the result with stoppage-time substitutions, sending on Nicolás Otamendi for Romero and Facundo Medina for Julián Álvarez at 90+5 minutes to preserve the defensive line. Hossam Hassan could only push Zizo on for Mohanad Lasheen at 90+6 minutes as Argentina managed the clock.
The numbers confirm the shift. Leandro Paredes orchestrated with 119 passes while Argentina produced 19 shots and 2.84 xG. Egypt mustered five shots and 0.89 xG, relying on efficiency and Shobeir’s penalty save. Messi’s missed penalty will be replayed everywhere, yet his six key passes, assist for Romero and the equaliser showed why Scaloni never doubted him. Enzo Fernández’s ceaseless running alongside Alexis Mac Allister’s graft ensured Argentina finally overran Egypt’s narrow lines.
Mohamed Salah and Mostafa Ziko stretched play intelligently, but Egypt paid for fading legs once Montiel and Lautaro tilted the match. Post-match, Ziko openly questioned FIFA’s integrity, claiming the tournament is “rigged” in favour of Argentina and Messi, a remark that will draw scrutiny but cannot erase the fact his side conceded three times in 11 minutes.
Statistics
- Possession: Argentina 64 percent, Egypt 36 percent
- Total shots: Argentina 19, Egypt 5
- Shots on target: Argentina 7, Egypt 2
- Expected goals: Argentina 2.84, Egypt 0.89
- Pass completion: Argentina 602 attempted, 541 completed, 90 percent
- Saves: Emiliano Martínez 0, Mostafa Shobeir 4
Argentina advance to a quarter-final meeting with Switzerland on 12 July, preparation already underway. Coverage continues with the build-up here: Argentina vs Switzerland.
