With the excitement still fresh after one of the most stunning comebacks of the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi analyzed in the mixed zone the 3-2 victory of the Argentine National Team over Egypt, a victory that allowed the Albiceleste to reach the quarter-finals after recovering from a two-goal deficit.
"Honestly, it was incredible what we experienced, ending up suffering once again. It got ugly with the 2-0, I think we had played a good match. With the penalty, if I had scored, it would have changed the dynamics of the game. We were doing well, we were creating chances. We also created clear situations, like the one from Alexis (Mac Allister) and the one from Juli (Julián Álvarez). But it’s true that after the 2-0 it got ugly", the Rosario native began.
However, he emphasized that he never stopped believing in the team's ability to react. "This group demonstrated once again what I have often repeated: A group that never tires of competing, believing, trying, that never gives up", he stated.
"There’s another display of character, honestly, as I said last time, it’s a pride to be alongside them, to compete on the field against whoever the rival is. It wasn’t easy to come back from 2-0 in a World Cup knockout match, as the games are being played where no one gives you anything. And well, thank God we did it once again", he added.
When asked about the tears he showed once the qualification was secured, Messi acknowledged that he experienced the match with a special emotional burden due to the missed penalty. "It was a release, a release for everything. As I just said, I was very angry about the missed penalty, about how I kicked it, I felt that at an important moment I had let the group down and well, luckily God had something special in store for me again", he assured.
