World Cup 2026: Why I Cried After Argentina Eliminated Egypt — Messi

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has explained the emotional reason behind his tears after his side completed a dramatic comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 and book a place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner admitted he was overwhelmed with emotion after missing a first-half penalty, believing he had disappointed his teammates during one of Argentina’s most difficult matches of the tournament.

The defending champions found themselves under intense pressure after Egypt made an impressive start to the Round of 16 encounter.

Yasser Ibrahim gave the Pharaohs the lead in the 15th minute before Argentina were handed an opportunity to equalise when the referee awarded a penalty.

However, Messi failed to convert from the spot, with the Egyptian goalkeeper producing an important save to preserve his side’s advantage.

Egypt capitalised on the momentum as Mostafa Zico doubled the lead following a swift counter-attack, leaving Argentina facing a shock elimination from the competition.

Despite the setback, Lionel Scaloni’s men responded strongly in the closing stages of the match.

Cristian Romero sparked the comeback by reducing the deficit before Messi redeemed himself with the equalising goal to restore hope for the South American side.

With the game seemingly heading for extra time, Enzo Fernandez scored deep into stoppage time to complete a remarkable turnaround and secure Argentina’s place in the quarter-finals.

Speaking after the match, Messi admitted the missed penalty had affected him emotionally and explained why he could not hold back his tears after the final whistle.

“I cried because I felt that I let my teammates down because of the penalty I missed and the way I took it,” Messi said.

“But thankfully once again, God had something special for me in the end. I’m very happy.”

The victory keeps Argentina’s hopes of successfully defending the World Cup title alive as they prepare for the quarter-final stage.

Messi’s goal against Egypt proved crucial in the comeback and ensured his earlier penalty miss did not define the contest.

Argentina will now shift attention to their next challenge as they continue their quest for another World Cup triumph, while Egypt exit the tournament after producing one of the most spirited performances of the knockout rounds.