Argentina captain Lionel Messi has explained why he broke down in tears after his side secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Egypt to reach the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The South American champions mounted a stunning comeback after falling two goals behind during Tuesday night’s Round of 16 clash.
Egypt took the lead through Nasser Ibrahim before Messi failed to convert a penalty, with his spot-kick saved. The miss was his second unsuccessful penalty of the tournament.
Mostafa Zico then doubled Egypt’s advantage after finishing off a swift counter-attack, leaving Argentina facing an early exit.
However, Argentina responded strongly in the second half as Cristian Romero pulled one back before Messi equalised. Enzo Fernandez completed the comeback with the winning goal to send Lionel Scaloni’s men into the last eight.
Reflecting on the emotional moment after the final whistle, Messi admitted he felt responsible for putting his teammates under pressure following his missed penalty.
“I cried because I felt that I let my teammates down, because of the penalty I missed… and the way I took it.
“But thankfully once again, God had something special for me in the end. I’m very happy.”
