Lionel Messi added another extraordinary chapter to his legendary FIFA World Cup career on Tuesday, becoming the first player in tournament history to score in six consecutive knockout stage matches as Argentina produced a stunning late comeback to beat Egypt 3-2 and reach the quarter-finals.The 39-year-old, who had earlier missed a first-half penalty, bounced back in spectacular fashion to score the equalizer in the 83rd minute, before Enzo Fernandez completed a remarkable stoppage-time turnaround. Argentina were trailing 2-0 until the 79th minute, making them the last team ever to be two or more goals behind and still come back to win a World Cup match in regulation time.
Messi rewrites the World Cup record books again
Messi’s strike was historic on many fronts. According to Opta, he became the first player in FIFA World Cup history to score in six consecutive knockout games, underscoring his remarkable consistency on football’s biggest stage.The Argentina captain also extended another stunning record by scoring in nine consecutive World Cup matches, a feat never achieved before in the tournament’s history.His goal was his eighth of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the highest tally by any player through the opening five matches of a team in a single edition, since Germany great Gerd Müller scored 10 in 1970. It also took Messi’s overall World Cup tally to a record 21 goals.The strike also saw him equal Guillermo Stábile’s Argentine record of eight goals in a single edition of the World Cup, first set during the inaugural tournament in 1930.Despite missing from the penalty spot earlier in the evening, Messi still produced another all-round masterclass. I became only the second Argentine after that Diego Maradona to score, complete at least five dribbles and create five or more chances from open play in a World Cup match.Ironically, the missed penalty added yet another unwanted record. Messi became the first player to miss two penalties in a single edition of the World Cup (excluding shootouts) and now has four missed penalties in his entire World Cup career – the most of any player in the tournament’s history.
Argentina produces another famous escape
For a long time, Argentina’s title defense seemed over.Yasser Ibrahim gave Egypt an early lead before Mostafa Zico doubled the lead in the 67th minute. Egypt also had another goal disallowed after a VAR review, leaving Lionel Scaloni’s side on the brink of elimination.Cristian Romero sparked the revival with a header in the 79th minute, before Messi pulled Argentina level four minutes later, sending the crowd into a frenzy. In stoppage time, Fernandez completed one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup qualifying history.Messi, visibly emotional at the final whistle, kept Argentina’s dream of keeping the World Cup alive. The defending champions will now face Switzerland in the quarter-finals, with their captain proving once again that when the stakes are highest, he continues to make history.