ATLANTA, Ga. (Diya TV) — Argentina produced another unforgettable FIFA World Cup comeback on Tuesday. The defending champions erased a two-goal deficit late in the match and defeated Egypt 3-2 to reach the quarterfinals. The dramatic victory kept Argentina’s title defense alive and added another memorable chapter to the nation’s World Cup history.

With only 11 minutes left in regulation, Argentina appeared headed for elimination. However, the team refused to give up. Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez all scored during a remarkable comeback that stunned Egypt and thrilled fans inside the stadium.

Argentina will now face either Switzerland or Colombia in the quarterfinals on Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri.

Egypt controlled much of the match and built a deserved lead. Yasser Ibrahim opened the scoring in the 15th minute after heading home Marwan Attia’s cross. The early goal gave Egypt confidence, while Argentina struggled to create clear chances.

Soon after, Argentina earned a penalty when Haissem Hassan fouled Nicolas Tagliafico inside the box. Messi stepped forward with a chance to level the score. However, Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir guessed correctly and made an excellent save. It marked Messi’s second penalty miss of this tournament.

Despite the setback, Argentina continued to attack. Messi later struck the post, and Shobeir denied Julian Alvarez with another outstanding save before halftime. As a result, Egypt carried its one-goal advantage into the break.

Egypt looked even stronger after halftime. The team briefly thought it had doubled its lead when Mostafa Zico finished a flowing attack. However, video review ruled out the goal because of a foul earlier in the move.

Still, Egypt kept pushing forward. In the 67th minute, Zico found the net again after another quick attack. This time, the goal stood. Egypt moved ahead 2-0, while Argentina faced the possibility of an early exit from the FIFA World Cup.

The defending champions finally responded in the 79th minute. Romero rose above the defense and powered a header into the net. His goal shifted the momentum and gave Argentina fresh hope.

Only four minutes later, Messi delivered once again. The veteran captain scored his eighth goal of the tournament and the 21st World Cup goal of his remarkable career. The equalizer brought Argentina level at 2-2 and energized both the players and supporters.

Then, in stoppage time, Fernandez completed the comeback. He found space inside the penalty area and calmly finished the winning chance. His goal sealed an extraordinary 3-2 victory and sent Argentina into the next round.

After the final whistle, Messi showed his emotions as tears filled his eyes. The 39-year-old captain may be playing in his final World Cup, making the dramatic victory even more meaningful.

Fernandez praised the team’s determination after the match.

“We have a phenomenal group, a group that never gives up no matter the difficulties and adversity,” Fernandez said. “We’re always together.”

Alvarez also highlighted Argentina’s fighting spirit.

“The heart of Argentinians is always something that pushes us,” Alvarez said. “Even when we were down 2-0, we kept believing and fighting until the end.”

Head coach Lionel Scaloni also celebrated his players’ resilience.

“I’m so emotional,” Scaloni said. “What a group of players.”

Argentina has built a reputation for dramatic World Cup performances. The nation won the 1986 final in a thrilling 3-2 victory over West Germany. More recently, Argentina defeated France after an unforgettable final that ended in a penalty shootout. Earlier in this tournament, the defending champions also survived a tough extra-time battle against Cape Verde.

Meanwhile, Egypt left the tournament disappointed despite a strong display. The African side created several dangerous chances and defended well for most of the match. However, the late collapse ended its World Cup journey.

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan questioned several decisions after the game. He believed his team deserved a penalty before Argentina scored the winning goal.

“We looked better compared to the reigning champions,” Hassan said. “We were better in everything but the result.”

Hassan also expressed frustration with the outcome and said he felt his team had been treated unfairly.

Even so, Argentina celebrated another remarkable escape. The comeback preserved its dream of winning consecutive FIFA World Cup titles. More importantly, it kept Messi’s pursuit of another world championship alive as the tournament moves into the quarterfinal stage.