Argentina came back from the verge of elimination as they staged a stunning comeback from 0-2 down to Egypt and carve a 3-2 win to reach the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup. They defending champions will take on Switzerland, who stunned Colombia in a penalty shootout next.
The Swiss qualified for the quarter-finals for the first time since 1954 as they edged out Colombia 4-3 after both sides played out to a 0-0 draw in regulation time.
Argentina looked down and out when goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Ziko, either side of Messi having a penalty saved, put the Pharaohs in sight of a historic victory in Atlanta.
However, Cristian Romero’s header sparked the comeback as Argentina struck three times in the final 11 minutes plus stoppage time. Messi smashed home the equaliser to score for a ninth consecutive FIFA World Cup game and retake the lead for the Golden Boot with eight this tournament.
Enzo Fernandez completed the turnaround with a superb header two minutes into stoppage time.
Lionel Scaloni attempted to refresh a side that looked dead on their feet in the closing stages of a 3-2 win over Cape Verde in the last 32 on Friday.
Nicolas Tagliafico, Leandro Paredes and Julian Alvarez came in from the team that started in Miami, but Argentina got off to another slow start.
Marwan Attia’s deep cross to the back post was powered home by Yasser.
Argentina had the chance to level five minutes later when Tagliafico was wiped out by Haissem Hassan inside the box.
However, there was another chapter to Messi’s misery from the penalty spot at FIFA World Cups.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or’s strike was tentative and Mostafa Shobeir flew to his left to save, meaning Messi has now missed four of his eight non-shootout penalties at FIFA World Cups.
He also became the first player to miss two in a single tournament, having also failed to hit the target against Austria in the group stage.
The penalty save was just the start of Shobeir’s inspired afternoon.
Alexis Mac Allster’s powerful header from point-blank range was next to be parried by the Al Ahly stopper.
Shobeir then produced one of the saves of the tournament to prevent Alvarez’s shot finding the bottom corner.
Egypt thought they had doubled their lead on the hour mark after a brilliant counter-attack.
Mohamed Salah played in Mostafa Ziko, who dinked the ball perfectly over the onrushing Emi Martinez.
However, Egyptian celebrations were cut short by a VAR intervention for a foul on Lisandro Martinez, just outside the Egypt box, at the start of the build-up to the goal.
The decision finally fired up the majority Argentine crowd, but they were silenced once more moments later by another blistering Egyptian break.
Salah again led the charge before feeding Hassan and his cross was swept in by Zico.
Argentina looked like a beaten side with Messi among those whose head was bowed during the second-half drinks break.
Yet Romero’s header – that Shoubir just failed to keep out – sparked a remarkable revival as the defending champions hauled themselves off the canvas.
Moments later a dazzling run by Messi teed up Lautaro Martinez, who headed just wide and Messi was to have his moment of redemption seven minutes from time.
Gonzalo Montiel fed the ball back for his captain to strike sweetly on the half volley.
Shoubir again got a touch but couldn’t get it out as the ball cannonned in off the bar for Messi’s 21st FIFA World Cup goal.
Then Fernandez’s bullet header from Lautaro Martinez’s cross completed the fightback and Argentina’s relief was on full display after the final whistle with Messi shedding tears of joy as he embraced his teammates.
Swiss delight in Vancouver
Switzerland and Colombia cancelled each other out in the final game of the last 16 — the last match to be played at the 2026 tournament outside the United States.
Both teams missed spot-kicks before Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel brilliantly saved Cucho Hernandez’s effort and Ruben Vargas scored the decisive penalty.
Colombia, once again backed by thousands of passionate fans in Vancouver, had conceded just once in their four games before Tuesday’s match and the Swiss had also proved difficult to break down.
The first action of note came in the 21st minute when Kobel was forced into a flying save to keep out Gustavo Puerta’s curling effort from the edge of the penalty area.
The Swiss stepped up a gear immediately after the first hydration break, with Camilo Vargas beating away a shot from Fabian Rieder before denying Dan Ndoye.
But the match was goalless at half-time, with two well-matched teams struggling for inspiration.
Switzerland started the second half on the front foot but Colombia also had their moments, with Luis Suarez lashing wastefully wide.
Both coaches made multiple changes in the second half but again struggled to create meaningful openings, with Colombia’s star winger Luis Diaz kept quiet.
Ndoye flashed a shot across goal in stoppage time but nobody was able to get on the end of it and the match was 0-0 at the end of normal time.
The game belatedly burst into life in the first period of extra time.
Colombia defender Jhon Lucumi headed against the bar from a corner in the ninth minute and Kobel kept out a fierce effort from Jaminton Campaz as the South Americans upped the tempo.
At the other end, Vargas dived to his left to beat away an effort from substitute Zeki Amdouni.
Campaz missed a glorious chance to win the game with five minutes of time left on the clock.
With nothing to separate the teams, the game went to penalties.
Switzerland will face Argentina in Kansas City on Saturday after Lionel Messi’s team earlier beat Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta.
Switzerland last reached the quarter-finals when they hosted the World Cup in 1954.
