ATLANTA (AP) — It was another World Cup epic from an Argentina team that simply doesn’t know when it’s beaten.
Trailing 2-0 against Egypt with 11 minutes of regulation time to play on Tuesday, the defending champions rallied for an improbable 3-2 victory and a spot in the quarterfinals.
“We have a phenomenal group, a group that never gives up no matter the difficulties and adversity. We’re always together,” said Enzo Fernandez, who scored the winning goal in stoppage time.
Argentina will play either Switzerland or Colombia in the next round on Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri.
For much of Tuesday’s game, it looked like it would be a painful exit for the 39-year-old Lionel Messi in what might be the last of his six World Cups.
Egypt led after goals in each half from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico and could have been ahead 3-0 if not for a video review that ruled out another score.
Argentina looked down and out, its bid to be the first team to win back-to-back World Cup titles since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 all but dead.
Cue a monumental comeback.
“The heart of Argentinians is always something that pushes, that we keep going no matter what, that we give everything until the end. And honestly, with the score 2-0, we looked a bit beaten,” Argentina striker Julian Alvarez said. “There was little time left, but we always manage to get something more by fighting until the end.”
Cristian Romero started the rally by scoring with a header in the 79th minute. Messi, who was in tears after the final whistle, scored his eighth goal of the tournament and record-extending 21st goal at the World Cup in the 83rd to level the score at 2-2 and Fernandez completed the comeback in injury time.
“Four years have passed since Qatar, and we’ve come to enjoy another World Cup — and we want to win it again. That’s what we’re aiming for,” Fernandez said.
Argentina is no stranger to heroic matches at the World Cup.
There was the 3-2 win over West Germany in the 1986 final. Then the 3-3 draw and eventual shootout victory against France to reclaim the title four years ago.
Cape Verde pushed Argentina to the brink in the last round before the defending champions eventually won 3-2 in extra time.
Tuesday’s match was even more dramatic, with Messi having a first-half penalty saved and another effort hit the post.
“I’m so emotional,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “What a group of players, brother.”
Egypt took a surprising lead in the 15th minute when Ibrahim got ahead of Lisandro Martinez to meet Marwan Attia’s cross and head the ball into the bottom corner.
Argentina was quickly given the chance to level the match when Haissem Hassan tripped Nicolas Tagliafico in the box moments later. Referee François Letexier pointed to the penalty spot and Messi stepped up with an expectant crowd waiting for him to score.
Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir had other ideas, diving to his left to block the shot for Messi’s second penalty miss of the tournament after also failing from the spot against Austria in the group stage.
Despite being the all-time leading scorer at World Cups, Messi has now missed four of eight penalty kicks at the tournament.
After Messi hit the post later in the half, Shobeir pulled off another great save to stop Julian Alvarez from close range.
Egypt thought it had doubled its lead in the second half when Mostafa Zico finished off a sweeping attack. But the wild celebrations were cut short when a foul earlier in the move was confirmed on video review and the goal was disallowed.
That second goal for Egypt did come in the 67th from a similar break, and this time Zico’s effort counted. It just wasn’t enough.
“We looked better compared to the reigning champions. We were better in everything, but the result,” Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said.
Hassan said he would not watch any further games at this year’s World Cup, believing his team should have had a penalty before Argentina broke away for the winning goal.
“I’m not convinced with this outcome. I’m not convinced with the way things unfolded during this match,” he said. “I do not want to try to put it nicely here with beautiful wording, selected wording, and saying hard luck and so on and so forth.
“We have been treated unfairly today,” Hassan said. “We have suffered injustice.”
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