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Lionel Messi he added another remarkable chapter to his legendary FIFA World Cup career on Tuesday, becoming the first player in tournament history to score in six consecutive knockout stage games as Argentina staged a stunning late comeback to beat Egypt 3-2 to reach the quarter-finals.The 39-year-old, who had earlier missed a penalty in the first half, redeemed himself in spectacular fashion by scoring an 83rd-minute equalizer before Enzo Fernandez completed an incredible turnaround in stoppage time. Argentina trailed 2-0 until the 79th minute, the last time a team trailed by two or more goals and still came back to win a World Cup match in regular time.
Messi sets World Cup records again
Messi’s attack was historic on several fronts. According to Opti, he became the first player in FIFA World Cup history to score in six consecutive knockout stage matches, underscoring his remarkable consistency on football’s biggest stage.The Argentina captain also extended another stunning record by scoring in nine consecutive World Cup matches, a feat never before achieved in the history of the tournament.His goal was his eighth of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the most by any player in one team’s first five games at one edition since German great Gerd Müller scored 10 goals in 1970. It also took Messi’s World Cup total to a record 21 goals.The strike also equaled Guillermo Stábile’s long-standing Argentine record of eight goals in one edition of the World Cup, which was first set at the inaugural tournament in 1930.Despite missing a penalty earlier in the evening, Messi still produced another all-round masterclass. He became only the second Argentine after Diego Maradona score a goal, complete at least five dribbles and create five or more chances from open play in a World Cup match.Ironically, the missed penalty added another unwanted record. Messi became the first player to miss two penalties in a single edition of the World Cup (excluding shootouts) and now has four missed penalties in his World Cup career — the most of any player in the tournament’s history.
Argentina produces another famous escape
For a long time, it seemed that Argentina’s title defense was over.Yasser Ibrahim gave Egypt an early lead before Mostafa Zico doubled the lead in the 67th minute. Egypt even had another goal disallowed after a VAR review, leaving Lionel Scaloni’s side on the brink of elimination.Cristian Romero sparked a revival with a towering header in the 79th minute before Messi equalized for Argentina four minutes later, sending the crowd into delirium. Deep into stoppage time, Fernandez completed one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history with a knockout.Messi, visibly emotional after the final whistle, kept Argentina’s dream of staying at the World Cup alive. The defending champions will now face Switzerland in the quarter-finals, and their captain proves once again that when the stakes are highest, he continues to make history.
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