Atlanta, USA – Egypt’s dream of continuing their journey in the 2026 World Cup evaporated after they fell to their Argentinian counterparts by a score of (3-2), in a thrilling match held at Atlanta Stadium on Tuesday evening, as part of the round of 16 competitions. Despite that, the Pharaohs were on the verge of achieving one of the biggest surprises of the tournament.
Argentina dominated possession from the opening minutes, but the first real chance came from Egypt. In the seventh minute, Mostafa Zico nearly capitalized on a cross into the penalty area, but he failed to convert it into a goal.
Egypt responded quickly, opening the scoring in the 15th minute after Marwan Attia delivered a perfectly weighted long ball. Yasser Ibrahim rose to meet it and headed it into the net, giving the Pharaohs an early lead.
ياسر إبراهيم يفتتح التسجيل لمنتخب مصر ويشعل المدرجات pic.twitter.com/EKbsd7EVrI
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) July 7, 2026Argentina had a chance to equalize after being awarded a penalty in the 19th minute, but Mostafa Shobeir continued his stellar performance. He brilliantly saved Lionel Messi’s shot, preserving Egypt’s lead until the end of the first half.
In the second half, the Egyptian team thought they had extended their lead when Mostafa Zico scored in the 58th minute. However, the video assistant referee (VAR) canceled the goal due to a foul on Marwan Attia at the start of the attack.
The Pharaohs were unfazed by the cancellation, as they managed to score their second goal in the 67th minute, after Mohamed Salah led a quick counter-attack. He passed the ball to Haitham Hassan, who sent in a perfect cross that Mostafa Zico met with a first-time shot into the net, making the score 2-0.
مصطفى زيكو يضاعف النتيجة لمنتخب مصر ⚽️🇪🇬 pic.twitter.com/4kzuhZPKW5
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) July 7, 2026But Argentina refused to give up and began their comeback in the 79th minute when Cristian Romero narrowed the gap. Lionel Messi then equalized just four minutes later, setting up a thrilling finale.
كريستيان روميرو يقلص الفارق للأرجنتين#كأس_العالم2026 pic.twitter.com/Lhjl5ZP4Ov
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) July 7, 2026As the match seemed destined for extra time, Enzo Fernandez snatched a dramatic winner in the third minute of stoppage time. This came amidst Egyptian protests claiming a penalty should have been awarded in the immediately preceding attack.
إنزو فيرنانديز يسجّل الهدف الثالث للأرجنتين#كأس_العالم2026 pic.twitter.com/l7yY1IHecc
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) July 7, 2026The referee blew the final whistle, declaring Argentina the winners with a score of 3-2, thus qualifying them for the quarterfinals, while the Egyptian national team exited the tournament after a heroic performance. They were close to writing a new chapter in their World Cup history before the final details decided the match in favor of the world champions.
