sports

Messi in Tears After Argentina’s Dramatic Round of 16 Victory

Published

3 months ago

July 7, 2026

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.

Also read: Messi, Ronaldo Lead Record-Breaking 2026 World Cup Milestones

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.

Also read: Mbappé Breaks Klose Record, Leads Messi in Golden Boot Race

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.

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Opinion

Why Are Football Fans Expecting Trophy Haul from Man City’s 114 Breaches?

Published

5 hours ago

September 30, 2026

Mariam Balogun

By Tai Emeka Obasi,

It is exceedingly terrible for clubs operating in a league as supremely elite as the English Premier League, EPL, to fraudulently cheat themselves to massive success.

Also read: NFF Appeals CAF Ruling on Edo Queens’ WAFU-B Victory

Rules are rules, and supposedly responsible club managements should comply with them in administering a game termed the beautiful game.

Manchester City is currently in the eye of the storm for all the wrong reasons.

A whopping 115 breaches were brought against the club, with reports now indicating that an independent commission found City guilty of 114 of them.

The club, however, maintains that the Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements still to be completed and subject to strict confidentiality.

Manchester City chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, has appealed to the fans to remain calm and faithful, insisting that the club will continue to defend its position and pursue the available legal process.

According to reports, Manchester City is expected to appeal the verdict. The sanctions have not yet been announced, and the possible consequences could include a heavy fine, points deduction, stripping of titles or even relegation.

From the available reporting, however, there is no basis for football fans to start celebrating the prospect of receiving Manchester City’s trophies.

Even if titles were eventually stripped, the relevant period under investigation is 2009 to 2018.

During that period, Manchester City won three Premier League titles, in 2011/12, 2013/14 and 2017/18, as well as three League Cups, in 2013/14, 2015/16 and 2017/18.

That immediately puts a different complexion on the matter.

For instance, Manchester United finished runners-up to City in the 2011/12 and 2017/18 Premier League seasons, while Liverpool finished second in 2013/14.

But whether those titles would actually be reassigned to the runners-up is another matter entirely.

There is no automatic rule that says a stripped title simply moves to the team that finished second. Any such outcome would depend on the eventual sanction imposed by the relevant authorities.

The same applies to Arsenal and the League Cup. Arsenal were beaten by City in the 2018 final, but that does not mean Arsenal would automatically inherit the trophy if City were sanctioned.

Expert opinion has suggested that the eventual punishment could include a substantial financial penalty and a huge points deduction, potentially severe enough to threaten City with relegation.

But until the sanction is formally determined, nobody can say with certainty what punishment Manchester City will receive.

For Gunners fans, therefore, we should lower our expectations from City’s debacle. Even if Manchester City are eventually found guilty after the appeal process and even if they are relegated, Arsenal will not stroll to this season’s title.

Our last match against Brighton and Hove Albion is a huge warning that our squad is not as complete as it is generally acclaimed to be.