Argentina captain Lionel Messi has revealed that the tears he shed after his team’s dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Egypt came from guilt over his missed penalty, not the joy of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.
The defending champions were close to an early exit after going two goals down in their Round of 16 match in Atlanta.
Messi struggled in the first half and missed a penalty after Egypt had gone ahead. But he bounced back in style and inspired Argentina’s stunning fightback.
The veteran forward set up Cristian Romero to pull one back, scored the equaliser minutes later, and Enzo Fernández sealed the comeback deep into stoppage time.
Looking back at the emotional moments after the final whistle, Messi said the missed penalty stayed on his mind throughout the game.
“I cried because I felt that I let my teammates down because of the penalty I missed and the way I took it.
“But thankfully, once again, God had something special for me in the end. I’m very happy.”
Messi also praised the spirit of the Argentina squad, saying they never believed their World Cup run was over even after falling two goals behind.
“We didn’t want and didn’t deserve to go home. We could not let it end like that.
“This group really deserved to keep going. We never give up. Never.”
Egypt took charge through Yasser Ibrahim before goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir saved Messi’s penalty in the 20th minute. Mostafa Zico then made it 2-0, leaving Argentina on the brink of elimination before the South Americans produced one of the tournament’s greatest comebacks.
Messi’s equaliser was his eighth goal of the tournament, taking him back to the top of the Golden Boot race ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.
The goal also stretched his record to six straight World Cup knockout matches with a goal.
The victory keeps Argentina’s title defence alive. They will face Switzerland in the quarter-finals on July 11 in Kansas City.
The match could also mark another major moment in what is widely expected to be Messi’s final FIFA World Cup campaign.
