Argentina just pulled off the kind of comeback that makes you wonder if scriptwriters are secretly running FIFA. Down 0-2 to Egypt in the round of 16, the defending champions rattled off three goals in roughly 13 minutes to win 3-2 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on July 7. Lionel Messi, 39 years old and apparently allergic to retirement, scored his eighth goal of the tournament and then wept on the pitch like a man who just remembered this might be his last dance.
Here’s what happened on the pitch. Cristian Romero converted a Messi cross around the 79th minute to cut the deficit. Messi himself equalized in roughly the 84th minute. And Enzo Fernandez sealed it with a stoppage-time header in the 92nd minute. Messi’s post-match tears, captured and shared instantly across X, became the defining image of the tournament so far. The emotional footage spread across Latin America within minutes. Crucial VAR decisions played a role in the late sequence, altering the trajectory of the match and, by extension, every live bet and prediction market position tied to the outcome.
Argentina now advances to face either Switzerland or Colombia in the quarterfinals.
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