Lionel Messi has disclosed that the tears he shed after Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Egypt in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup were born out of guilt over his missed penalty rather than the excitement of reaching the quarterfinals.
Key Highlights
- Messi explains tears: Lionel Messi said he cried after Argentina’s victory because he felt guilty about missing a first-half penalty, not because of the team’s qualification.
- Argentina’s stunning comeback: The defending champions rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Egypt 3-2, with goals from Cristian Romero, Messi, and a stoppage-time winner by Enzo Fernández.
- Messi inspires recovery: After missing the penalty, Messi assisted Argentina’s first goal before scoring the equaliser to spark the dramatic turnaround.
- Golden Boot lead restored: Messi’s eighth goal of the tournament moved him back to the top of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot race ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.
- Quarterfinal showdown: Argentina will face Switzerland in the quarterfinals on July 11 as they continue their bid to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup title.
The Argentina captain endured a difficult opening half in Atlanta after failing to convert from the penalty spot, with Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir producing a crucial save.
Egypt later extended their lead through Mostafa Zico after Yasser Ibrahim had opened the scoring, leaving the defending champions on the brink of elimination.
Argentina, however, mounted a remarkable comeback in the second half. Messi created the opening goal for Cristian Romero before finding the net himself to level the score.
Enzo Fernández completed the turnaround with a dramatic stoppage-time winner to keep Argentina’s title defence alive.
Reflecting on the emotional scenes after the match, Messi admitted the missed penalty had troubled him throughout the encounter.
“I cried because I felt I had let my teammates down with the penalty I missed and the way I took it. Thankfully, God had something special for me in the end. I’m very happy,” he said.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also praised the determination of his teammates, insisting the squad never believed their World Cup campaign was over despite trailing by two goals.
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“We didn’t want to go home, and we didn’t deserve to. This group deserved to keep going. We never give up.”
Messi’s equalising strike was his eighth goal of the tournament, moving him back to the top of the Golden Boot race ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.
The goal also extended his remarkable record of scoring in six consecutive FIFA World Cup knockout matches.
Argentina will now face Switzerland national football team in the quarterfinals on July 11 as the South Americans continue their quest to retain the World Cup title, with the tournament widely expected to be Messi’s final appearance on football’s biggest stage.
