Lionel Messi let the tears flow at the final whistle, succumbing to emotion after Argentina conjured up an incredible two-goal comeback to beat Egypt 3-2 on Tuesday (July 8) and advance to the World Cup quarterfinals.

Lionel Messi starts for Argentina today as their World Cup defence continues with a last-16 tie against Mohamed Salah’s Egypt. Argentina survived an almighty scare last time out, defeating Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time in one of the best games of the tournament.

Messi's goal in the 29th minute was the 20th of his World Cup career, extending his record and moving him two ahead of France's Kylian Mbappé on the all-time list.

Where other 'new Messi's failed, Salah departs the World Cup, a legend in his own right.

Follow live updates and coverage on the 2026 World Cup games as Lionel Messi looks to lead Argentina to the quarterfinals and keep up his record goal-scoring streak.

The Argentine captain holds the record for most missed penalties in World Cup history, but he’s also the master of turning failure into a comeback story.

By Gabriel Araujo KANSAS CITY, Missouri, July 6 (Reuters) - Twenty years before Lionel Messi became a World Cup-winning icon, Jose Pekerman sent a shy 18-year-old on for his tournament debut with Argentina in cruise control and a conviction that every minute on soccer’s biggest stage would matter.

The streamer resurfaced lyrics from his 2022 World Cup song predicting a Portugal-Argentina final, and with both teams now on opposite sides of the knockout bracket, the dream matchup remains possible.