Tears of relief? Messi adds another incredible chapter to World Cup career
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- Argentina trailed Egypt 2-0 with under 20 minutes remaining before scoring three times in 14 minutes to win 3-2 and avoid becoming the holders' shock exit
- Messi had a first-half penalty saved by Egypt keeper Mostafa Shobeir — his fourth penalty miss at a World Cup, and the second in a single tournament
- Messi set up Cristiano Romero's header with 11 minutes left, then scored himself with a left-footed shot off the bar to complete the comeback
- Messi became the first player in World Cup history to score in six consecutive knockout-phase games, reaching eight goals at this tournament — the most by a player in the opening five games since Gerd Müller's 10 in 1970
- Opta's win-probability model gave Argentina just a 0.6% chance of winning at the moment Romero scored, making this the latest any country has come back from 2-0 down in a World Cup match without needing extra time
- Argentina advance to a quarter-final against either Switzerland or Colombia, meaning England — if they beat Norway — would face the defending champions rather than Egypt in the semi-finals
Why it matters: Messi now stands directly in England's path: with Argentina through, the semi-final opponent shifts from Egypt to the reigning world champions. His eight goals and six straight knockout-phase scoring games make him the singular obstacle between England and a first men's World Cup final since 1966.
