Lionel Messi leads Argentina to 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt and spot in World Cup quarterfinals

ATLANTA (AP) — Lionel Messi did it yet again at this year’s World Cup.

The Argentina great scored another goal — his eighth of the tournament — and led his team to an improbable 3-2 victory over Egypt on Tuesday despite trailing by two with only 11 minutes of regulation time to play.

The defending champions will next face either Switzerland or Colombia in the quarterfinals on Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri.

Messi, who was in tears after the final whistle, scored his record-extending 21st goal at the World Cup in the 83rd minute to level the score at 2-2.

Enzo Fernandez scored the winning goal in stoppage time to complete one of the great World Cup comebacks. Cristian Romero started the rally in the 79th minute.

“This is a phenomenal group that never gives up," Fernandez said. "Four years have passed since Qatar, and we’ve come to enjoy another World Cup — and we want to win it again. That’s what we’re aiming for.”

Argentina had trailed 2-0 on goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico.

Messi also missed a chance in the first half when his penalty kick was saved by Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir. He later hit the post when the score was 1-0.

Argentina is bidding to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since Brazil did so in 1958 and 1962.

“I’m so emotional," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. "What a group of players, brother.”

For much of the game, it looked like it would be a painful exit for the 39-year-old Messi in what might be the last of his six World Cups.

Egypt took a surprising lead in the 15th minute when Ibrahim got ahead of Lisandro Martinez to meet Marwan Attia’s cross and head the ball into the bottom corner.

Argentina was quickly given the chance to level the match when Haissem Hassan tripped Nicolas Tagliafico in the box moments later. Referee François Letexier pointed to the penalty spot and Messi stepped up with an expectant crowd waiting for him to score.

Shobeir had other ideas, diving to his left to block the shot for Messi’s second penalty miss of the tournament after also failing from the spot against Austria in the group stage.

Despite being the all-time leading scorer at World Cups, Messi has now missed four of eight penalty kicks at the tournament.

After Messi hit the post later in the half, Shobeir pulled off another great save to stop Julian Alvarez from close range.

Egypt thought it had doubled its lead in the second half when Mostafa Zico finished off a sweeping attack. But the wild celebrations were cut short when a foul earlier in the move was confirmed on video review and the goal was disallowed.

That second goal for Egypt did come in the 67th from a similar break, and this time Zico’s effort counted. It just wasn't enough.

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir (23) saves a penalty kick from Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Argentina's Lionel Messi takes a free kick during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)

Egypt's Yasser Ibrahim (2) celebrates after scoring the opening goal as Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) looks on during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Egypt's Mostafa Zico (11) celebrates scoring their first goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

SEATTLE (AP) — For all the growth in American soccer over the past quarter-century, the U.S. men's national team remains stagnant.

Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie fared no better at the World Cup in 2022 and 2026 than Tim Howard, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore did in 2010 and 2014.

“We want to be able to go and compete with some of the best in the world and we just still have that next step to come,” Pulisic said after Monday night's error-filled 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16.

For all the billions of dollars invested with the goal of boosting the national team into the world's elite, the Americans remain soccer plebians.

After reaching the semifinals of the first World Cup in 1930, the U.S. didn't even qualify between 1950 and 1990. Since then, they Americans were eliminated in the round of 16 in 1994, 2010, 2014, 2022 and this year, failed to advance past their group in 1990, 1998 and 2006, and flopped in qualifying for 2018.

“It’s not like you are in a rocket and you improve and you grow. ... It’s not linear," U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said.

The U.S. won three games in a World Cup for the first time, beating Paraguay, Australia and Bosnia-Herzegovina while losing to Turkey and Belgium. The Americans benefitted as host, a seeded team that didn't face a top 10 nation before the Red Devils.

By the next World Cup in Spain, Portugal and Morocco (with three games in South America), Pulisic, McKennie and Adams will be 31.

Folarin Balogun led the U.S. team with three goals, looking like a top striker, and gained world-wide notoriety when his red card suspension for awkwardly landing on an opponent’s ankle was lifted after a phone call from U.S. President Donald Trump. A former Arsenal youth player, the 25-year-old striker is entering the fourth season of a five-year contract with French club Monaco and could be set for a move to a bigger club.

Malik Tillman became the first player since France's Bernard Genghini in 1982 to have two free kick goals in a World Cup. The 24-year-old midfielder is entering the second season of a five-year contract with German club Bayer Leverkusen. He had a difficult 2025-26, getting dropped from the starting lineup between late March and the season’s final match.

Pochettino said he will speak with the U.S. Soccer Federation after a rest period to discuss whether it wants him to stay beyond the expiration of his contract this summer and whether he wants to commit to a four-year cycle.

“We had positive conversations with Mauricio before the World Cup about the future. We agreed we would continue those conversations following a chance to rest and reflect post World Cup,” the U.S. Soccer Federation said in a statement Tuesday. “We have a great deal of respect and gratitude for Mauricio, his staff and everyone part of the program. We have shared excitement about our potential and also shared clarity about the amount of work at all levels still required to achieve our ambition.”

The Argentine took over from Gregg Berhalter in late 2024 after first-round elimination at the Copa America. His first year included failures to win the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Nations League.

“We were in a mess,” he said. “I’ve seen this team show that we can play football. We can play soccer. We can compete. That we need keep improving — a lot of young players with a lot potential and future.”

Goalkeeper has gone from the United States' biggest strength from 1990 through 2014 to a huge weakness in the past decade and appears to be at its weakest since the 1980s.

Long gone are the days when Tony Meola, Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel, Tim Howard, Brad Guzan inspired confidence.

Zack Steffen and Matt Turner both failed to establish themselves with big European teams. Matt Freese, who supplanted Turner as the first-choice starter last year, gifted a goal in the loss to Belgium that will be replayed on blooper reels.

Gabriel Slonina, Chris Brady, Patrick Schulte and Roman Celentano, who head the next generation, have the next cycle to establish themselves as possible No. 1s.

Central defense also is a concern. Crystal Palace's Chris Richards is the only American playing at a top club and his World Cup partner, Tim Ream, at 38 became the oldest U.S. player at any World Cup.

With the expansion of the field to 48 nations, including six from North and Central America and the Caribbean, World Cup qualifying is not likely to be challenging for CONCACAF's powers: Mexico, the U.S and Canada.

All three were eliminated in the round of 16 after Curaçao, Haiti and Panama were eliminated with last-place finishes in their groups.

Unless the U.S. shows vast improvement, it will not be seeded for the 2030 World Cup and likely will face a world power in the first round.

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

United States' Tyler Adams celebrates after Malik Tillman scored their first goal from a free kick during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between the United States and Belgium in Seattle, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

United States' Weston McKennie (8) reacts during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between the United States and Belgium in Seattle, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino walks off the pitch after losing to Belgium in their World Cup round of 16 soccer match in Seattle, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

United States' Christian Pulisic (10) reacts after Belgium scored a goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between the United States and Belgium in Seattle, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)