Atlanta [US], July 8 : Argentina Football Association (AFA) expressed joy following the team's remarkable comeback win against Egypt on Tuesday to seal the quarterfinal spot.
Tuesday at Atlanta will go down as one of the most defining matches of Argentina's football history.
From being 0-2 down in the 67th minute to scoring three goals within 13 minutes to book a place in the final eight, the defending champions enthralled the audiences worldwide, showing why they had won the FIFA World Cup back in 2022 at Qatar at first place, with their class, clutch abilities and relentless self-belief outweighing any doubts that the fans and experts could have had about the team's prospects with an ageing 39-year-old legend Messi at its helm.
Posting on Instagram after the match, AFA wrote, "Defending the colors with heart in every play.!GRACIAS EQUIPO!"
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Coming to the match, Egypt stunned Argentina in the 15th minute when Yasser Ibrahim headed home from Marwan Attia's corner. Argentina had an immediate chance to respond after Nicolas Tagliafico won a penalty, but goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir denied Lionel Messi from the spot. Shobeir continued his impressive display by saving efforts from Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez, while Messi also struck the crossbar with a free-kick as Egypt held a 1-0 lead at half-time.
Egypt thought they had doubled their advantage early in the second half through Mostafa Ziko, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR review. The Pharaohs were not to be denied for long, however, as Ziko finished off a swift counterattack in the 67th minute after good work from Mohamed Salah and Haissem Hassan to make it 2-0.
Argentina responded with renewed urgency after introducing attacking reinforcements. Cristian Romero reduced the deficit in the 79th minute, heading in Messi's inviting free-kick.
Just four minutes later, Messi levelled the contest with a powerful strike from the edge of the box that found the net after clipping the goalkeeper's gloves and the underside of the crossbar.
With extra time looming, Argentina completed their remarkable turnaround in stoppage time. A loose ball fell kindly to Enzo Fernandez on the edge of the penalty area, and the midfielder calmly slotted a low finish into the bottom corner to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory. The win sends Argentina into the quarter-finals, where they will face the winners of the Round of 16 clash between Switzerland and Colombia on July 8 (IST)