The Lionel Messi World Cup obits were starting to be written. It’s a good bet that some were finalized. Egypt led Argentina 2-0 in a World Cup quarterfinal Tuesday afternoon, in the 79th minute. A new World Cup champion would be crowned. Fold Cristiano Ronaldo into the piece. On back-to-back days, the two defining players of the past 20 years would exit the World Cup stage, most likely for good, given their ages. End of an era.
Idiots. (Present company included.) All scribes who had to scrap their stories got what they deserved. Haven’t we all watched enough of Messi in our lifetime?
An amazing, wondrous Argentina comeback unfolded on the pitch in Atlanta. And as well as Egypt played in almost pulling off a monumental upset, and as sympathetic we can all feel for the players and fans of the Pharaohs, Messi’s continued presence at this World Cup, after that breathtaking 3-2 Argentina victory on Tuesday, feels like divine intervention.
At age 39, Messi now has eight goals in this World Cup, more than any other player entering the quarterfinals. He started the tournament off with his first career World Cup hat trick and has now bookended his effort with a goal that, if Argentina should go on to win back-to-back World Cups, will be revered in Buenos Aires and beyond for generations.
Yasser Ibrahim scored for Egypt in the 15th minute to give the Pharaohs the early advantage. Egypt keeper Mostafa Shoubir denied Messi a penalty kick goal in the 21st minute, making Messi the first player to miss two penalties in the same tournament (excluding shoot-outs). Despite that setback, Argentina kept knocking on the door going into halftime. But some stellar saves from Shoubir kept the Pharaohs ahead.
In the 67th minute, Mostafa Zico finished off an Egypt downfield charge, on a brilliant counterattack to Argentina’s desperate press. Egypt, a team that hadn’t gotten out of the group stage in three prior World Cup appearances, now enjoyed a 2-0 cushion. The Pharaohs could feel the quarters.
But in the 79th minute, Messi—who else?—delivered a beautiful ball onto the head of Cristian Romero, who knocked it past Shoubir, who got his left hand on the ball, but not enough to stop the shot. Egypt’s advantage was cut in half. Then, four minutes later, the big one: Argentina’s Gonzalo Montiel kneed a deflected ball toward Messi, who was open inside the box. His rocket could not be stopped. Tie game.
An eruption in Atlanta. Elation for the Argentine side, who could now breathe, all momentum in its favor. The winning goal, before the end of stoppage time, now seemed inevitable for Argentina. And indeed, in the 92nd minute, Enzo Fernández headed in a cross from Lautaro Martínez to finish off the all-time comeback.
After the final whistle, Messi’s teammates tossed him into the air. Argentina plays the Switzerland-Colombia winner on Saturday, in Kansas City, in the quarterfinals. It’s a beautiful thing for the beautiful game. Because this weekend, and into this World Cup’s final phase, Messi may have more in store.