ATLANTA — When the final whistle blew at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Tuesday, Lionel Messi could no longer hold back his emotions. Tears streamed down the Argentina captain’s face, capping off one of the most dramatic comeback wins in recent World Cup history: his side roared back from a two-goal deficit to beat Egypt 3-2, punching their ticket to the tournament’s quarterfinal round.
All three of Argentina’s winning goals came in the final 11 minutes of regulation plus stoppage time, and Messi was directly involved in two of the decisive strikes. In the 79th minute, the captain set up Cristian Romero’s game-opening header with a pinpoint assist that put Argentina on the board. Just four minutes later, he slotted a powerful shot past Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir to level the score at 2-2, shifting the entire momentum of the match.
Inside the sold-out Atlanta stadium, where the stands were flooded with Argentina’s iconic light blue and white stripes from the opening kickoff, the crowd exploded into celebration after Messi’s equalizer. For the Argentina squad, seeing their leader step up to rescue the match was nothing short of expected.
“Watching Leo push himself harder every single day, running the way he does for this team — I told him after the match that he deserved this moment,” Argentina forward Lautaro Martínez told reporters after the win. “He is our role model, our guide, the player that lifts us up at every turn. This team never quits, we keep fighting until the final second, and that spirit starts with him.”
Messi’s 79th-minute strike marked his eighth goal of this year’s World Cup, pushing him to the top of the tightly contested Golden Boot race, awarded to the tournament’s top goalscorer. The goal also extended a historic record: he has now scored in nine consecutive World Cup matches dating back to Argentina’s 2022 title run in Qatar. Across that nine-game stretch, Messi has found the back of the net 13 times.
Heading into Tuesday’s match, Messi had entered tied with France’s Kylian Mbappé and Norway’s Erling Haaland on seven goals apiece, with Mbappé holding a tiebreaker advantage thanks to his two extra assists. England’s Harry Kane also remained in contention heading into the final group stage matches with six goals. The late brace against Egypt now gives Messi a two-goal lead over Mbappé on the all-time World Cup career scoring leaderboard as well.
This isn’t the first time Messi has stolen the show on the World Cup stage: he finished second in the 2022 Golden Boot race behind Mbappé that year, notching seven goals while leading Argentina to their third World Cup title. He also tied for third in the 2014 race in Brazil with four goals. Even so, his performance this tournament has stood out even for a player of his already legendary caliber.
Teammate Julián Álvarez says Messi’s impact on Argentina’s 2024 World Cup run is almost impossible to put into words. “There are truly no words to describe what Leo is doing at this tournament,” Álvarez said. “What he has accomplished is incredible, and all we can do as teammates is support him, help him where we can, and cherish every minute we get to play alongside him. We are so grateful for everything he does for this squad, and for the person he is.”
Whether he holds onto his lead and claims his first career Golden Boot or not, Messi’s standing as one of the greatest players to ever step onto the pitch is already secure, according to his teammates. “He is a legend,” Álvarez said simply. “The greatest in history.”