Argentina captain Lionel Messi has explained why he became emotional after his side’s dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The defending champions fought back from two goals down on Tuesday night to book their place in the quarter-finals.
Messi had the opportunity to level the score from the penalty spot after Nasser Ibrahim gave Egypt an early lead, but the 39-year-old failed to convert, with his spot-kick being saved — his second missed penalty of the tournament.
Egypt extended their advantage through Mostafa Zico, who capped off a swift counter-attack to put the Pharaohs in firm control.
However, Argentina mounted a remarkable second-half comeback, with Cristian Romero, Messi and Enzo Fernandez all finding the net to seal a stunning 3-2 victory.
Reflecting on the match, Messi admitted he was overwhelmed with emotion because he felt responsible for putting his team under pressure after missing the 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,” Messi said.
