Lionel Messi admitted he was overcome with emotion following Argentina's dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, revealing that frustration over his missed penalty had left him deeply distressed despite helping the defending champions reach the quarter-finals.
The Argentine captain endured an eventful night at the Kansas City Stadium as Lionel Scaloni's side produced a stunning turnaround after falling 2-0 behind. Cristian Romero pulled one back before Messi restored parity, while Enzo Fernandez completed the comeback with a dramatic stoppage-time winner to keep Argentina's World Cup title defence alive.
Despite playing a decisive role in the victory, Messi was visibly emotional at the final whistle, with cameras capturing the 39-year-old in tears after one of the most dramatic matches of the tournament.
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Messi admits penalty miss left him 'very distressed'
Following the thrilling victory, Lionel Messi explained that his emotions stemmed from missing yet another penalty, believing that converting the spot-kick could have completely changed the complexion of the contest.
The Argentine skipper, however, was relieved to eventually contribute to the comeback and help his side secure a place in the last eight.
"I was really angry about the penalty, very distressed about missing again. If I had scored the penalty at that moment, it would have changed the game. It's something very special to be able to help this group after what had happened."
Messi's goal against Egypt was his seventh of the FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, further cementing his remarkable run in the tournament as Argentina continues their quest to defend the trophy they lifted in Qatar four years ago.
Argentina set up quarter-final showdown with Switzerland
After surviving a major scare against Egypt, Argentina has now booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals.
The reigning world champions will next face Switzerland on Sunday, July 12, at the Kansas City Stadium in Kansas City, with a place in the semi-finals up for grabs.
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Having shown tremendous resilience to overturn a two-goal deficit in the Round of 16, Lionel Scaloni's men will be aiming to carry that momentum into another crucial knockout fixture as they continue their pursuit of back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles.