Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner breaks down in tears after scoring in Argentina’s stunning 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt to reach the World Cup quarter-finals

Argentina captain Lionel Messi was overcome with emotion after inspiring the reigning world champions to a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16, breaking down in tears as the final whistle confirmed Argentina’s place in the quarter-finals.

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At Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Tuesday, Argentina looked set for a shock exit after falling two goals behind and watching Messi miss a penalty with his side trailing 1-0.

The Messi Argentina Comeback gathered momentum in the closing stages as Cristian Romero headed home in the 79th minute to halve the deficit and reignite Argentina’s hopes.

Messi then stepped up when it mattered most, calmly finishing in the 85th minute to level the contest before Enzo Fernández completed the remarkable turnaround in stoppage time, heading home from Lautaro Martínez’s cross to seal an unforgettable victory.

Moments after the referee signalled full-time, television footage and videos widely shared online captured the emotional significance of the comeback for Argentina’s captain.

Messi pumped both fists before covering his face as tears streamed down his cheeks. His teammates immediately surrounded him, embracing and lifting the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner in celebration.

The emotional scenes followed a difficult evening for Messi, who had earlier squandered a penalty that could have brought Argentina level after Egypt took the lead.

Rather than allowing the miss to define his performance, the 39-year-old responded with a decisive display, providing an assist and scoring the crucial equaliser.

The goal also extended Messi’s extraordinary record of finding the net in nine consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments, underlining his enduring influence on the international stage.

Egypt had appeared in control after goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Zico established a 2-0 advantage, while the North Africans continued to threaten on the counter-attack as Argentina pressed forward.

However, Argentina’s relentless pressure eventually overwhelmed Egypt’s resistance, producing one of the tournament’s most compelling comebacks.

The victory keeps Argentina’s hopes of retaining the World Cup alive and sends Lionel Scaloni’s side into the quarter-finals, where they will continue their quest for another global title.

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For Messi, whose international career has already delivered a World Cup triumph and multiple major honours with Argentina, the raw emotion at full-time reflected both the pressure of defending the title and the significance of rescuing his country’s campaign from the brink of elimination.