'That’s when we all understood the game wasn’t over': How Lionel Messi kept Argentina alive at 0-2, reveals Lisandro Martinez after Egypt thriller

Argentina claimed a dramatic win over Egypt in their Round of 16 clash at the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 on Tuesday, July 7 at the Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta. The defending champions were two goals behind the African nation till the 79th minute of the match before Romero produced a stunning header after receiving a perfect pass from Lionel Messi.

Lionel Messi's involvement in Argentina's win vs Egypt

After the first goal, Argentina looked like a different side, as they found their intensity back in the game. As an outcome the defending world champions scored another two goals in quick succession to seal one of the most iconic wins in the history of the World Cup.

It would be true to say that Lionel Messi was the one who staged this dramatic win for Argentina, as he gave one assist and one goal in the game. After the game, Argentina's star defender Lisandro Martinez revealed how Messi turned the game in their favor despite trailing by 2 goals till the 78th minute.

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The star defender revealed that no one in the side were panicking despite being on the verge of an elimination, as everyone looked at Messi with hope. In the hunt for their first goal, Messi asked his teammates for a pass every single time to make something happen on the pitch, eventually he was the one who staged the first goal, before finding the back of the net in the 83rd minute.

"The moment we went two goals behind, nobody panicked. Nobody shouted, we just looked at Leo. He didn’t say much, he simply started asking for the ball every single time. That’s when we all understood the game wasn’t over," said Martinez after the game.

This particular moment defines Lionel Messi's influence on the entire Argentine squad, as everyone in there listens to him with full attention, and tries to execute his vision on the pitch with their efforts. This was one of the main reasons behind Argentina's historic 2022 World Cup triumph.

Next challenge for Argentina in FIFA World Cup 2026

After making a remarkable comeback against Egypt, Lionel Scaloni's men will prepare themselves to lock horns against Switzerland in their quarterfinal clash on Saturday, July 12 at the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.