World Cup 2026: Argentina 3-2 Egypt
By Kede Aihie Argentina left it late but found a way, coming from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 in a last-16 tie defined by resilience, drama and one familiar name. For 70 minutes Egypt looked the better side, organized, direct and clinical. Y. Ibrahim finished smartly in the 15th minute to give them […]
Black News 
By Kede Aihie
Argentina left it late but found a way, coming from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 in a last-16 tie defined by resilience, drama and one familiar name. For 70 minutes Egypt looked the better side, organized, direct and clinical. Y. Ibrahim finished smartly in the 15th minute to give them the lead, and M. Ziko added a second in the 67th after Argentina failed to clear their lines. With Mo Salah pulling the strings and the crowd sensing an upset, Egypt appeared to have done enough.
The game turned on Lionel Messi. He had a chance to pull Argentina back into it from the penalty spot and missed, a moment that felt like it might define the night for all the wrong reasons. Instead it sparked the response. In a burst of four minutes and 18 seconds Argentina were level. C. Romero met a set-piece to make it 2-1 in the 79th minute, and four minutes later Messi picked up the ball, drove at the defense and finished to make it 2-2. The momentum had flipped completely, and Egypt, who had defended so well, suddenly looked unsure.
Egypt tried to rally in added time. Salah went down under pressure and appealed for a foul but the referee played on. Argentina broke quickly, worked the ball wide and delivered a perfect cross that E. Fernández met with a header in the 90th+3 minute. That was the winner. Argentina celebrated with relief as much as joy, their bid for a fourth title still alive. Egypt were left to process a defeat that felt cruel. They had not collapsed, they had been beaten by a team that refused to lose and by a player who produces when it matters most. Salah walked off alone, the result not reflecting how close his team had come.
Argentina now wait on the winner of Switzerland against Colombia, who play their last-16 match at 21:00 BST. The quarter-final is scheduled for 02:00 BST on Sunday morning.
