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Argentina concluded its participation in the round of 16 of the this Tuesday with an epic comeback against Egypt, securing a 3-2 victory at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta that places it among the top eight teams in the tournament.
The team led by Lionel Scaloni found themselves down 0-2 after goals from Yasser Ibrahim in the 15th minute and Mostafa Ziko in the 67th, the latter following a counterattack initiated by Mohamed Salah.
The albiceleste reaction was as late as it was decisive: in just 13 minutes, three goals turned the game around.
Cristian Romero started the comeback with a header in the 79th minute. Four minutes later, Lionel Messi equalized with a spectacular volley that drove the Argentine fans in the stands wild.
The decisive blow came in added time: Enzo Fernández headed in a pass from Lautaro Martínez to make it 3-2 in the 92'+2' and unleash the euphoria of the Albiceleste.
The match also had its share of tension before the comeback: Messi missed a penalty in the 21st minute, saved by the Egyptian goalkeeper Mohamed Sobeir, which could have changed the course of the game.
With this result, Messi extended his lead in the tournament's scoring table. The Argentine captain has a total of 7 goals in the 2026 World Cup, a figure he shares with Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland at the top of the Gold Boot standings.
Messi is also the all-time top scorer in World Cups with 18 goals, a record he established during this edition of the tournament, surpassing Miroslav Klose's 16.
In the other match of the day, Switzerland and Colombia were evenly matched after 120 minutes of play at BC Place in Vancouver, and the qualification was decided from the penalty spot.
The Swiss team won 4-3 in the penalty shootout. The misses from Davinson Sánchez and Cucho Hernández were crucial for Colombia's elimination, which also failed to capitalize on the missed penalty by Manuel Akanji to turn the tide in their favor.
Switzerland eliminated Colombia with greater composure and efficiency in the penalty shootout, thereby becoming Argentina's next opponent in the quarterfinals.
The Argentine victory also resonated on social media. Antonela Roccuzzo, Messi's wife, posted on Instagram a message that captured the feelings of millions of fans: "There are no words left."
Argentina and Switzerland will face each other on Saturday, July 11 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, in a quarter-final clash that will mark the first meeting between the two teams in a World Cup since 1994.
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