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Marcus Virelli

Argentina’s Stunning Comeback Over Egypt in World Cup

3 min read

Down 2–0 with barely 11 minutes remaining, Argentina staged a breathtaking turnaround to defeat Egypt 3–2 and reach the quarterfinals.

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First Half Shock: Egypt Takes the Lead

On July 7, 2026, in Atlanta, Egypt stunned the defending champions early. Yasser Ibrahim opened the scoring with a powerful header in the 15th minute, beating Argentina for the first time in a World Cup match since 2022 . Argentina’s hopes were dealt another blow when Lionel Messi had a first-half penalty saved by Egypt’s Mostafa Shobeir, leaving the holders trailing at halftime .

Egypt Dominates, Nearly Clinches Victory

Egypt continued to threaten in the second half and Mostafa Zico doubled the lead in the 67th minute with a composed finish past Emiliano Martínez . A disallowed earlier goal added to Argentina’s mounting frustration . With just over ten minutes remaining, it appeared as though Argentina’s World Cup defense might be over.