Argentina produced a stunning comeback after falling two goals behind, scoring twice in four minutes through Cristian Romero and Lionel Messi to beat Egypt 3-2 in their last 16 clash of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Egypt's players and Coach Hossam Hassan blasted FIFA and accused the governing body of blatantly 'favouring' Lionel Messi and his team.
Lionel Messi extended his record by scoring in a ninth straight FIFA World Cup match as Argentina fought back from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2 and keep their title defence alive.
Egypt secured their first-ever World Cup knockout victory, defeating Australia 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in a last-32 match at Dallas Stadium, advancing to the last-16.
Egypt's national football coach, Hossam Hassan, has vehemently blamed 'unfair' refereeing decisions and 'external factors' for his team's dramatic World Cup elimination by Argentina, stating he will no longer watch the tournament.
Belgium drew 1-1 with Egypt in their World Cup opener after Romelu Lukaku's second-half introduction led to an own goal. Egypt had taken an early lead through Emam Ashour, and despite Belgium's numerous chances, they struggled to equalise until Lukaku's impact. Both coaches reflected on the match, with Belgium's coach highlighting the importance of their next game against Iran, and Egypt's coach feeling his side was closer to victory.
