Lionel Messi just did what Lionel Messi does. Down 2-0 against Egypt in the Round of 16 on July 7, with Argentina’s World Cup defense looking like it might end in humiliation, the 39-year-old orchestrated one of the most dramatic comebacks in tournament history.
Three goals in the final 11 minutes. A record-breaking 9th career World Cup assist, surpassing Diego Maradona’s mark of 8. And his 8th goal of the 2026 tournament, keeping him atop the Golden Boot race.
The comeback and the record
Argentina trailed Egypt 2-0 deep into the second half in Atlanta. The defending champions scored three unanswered goals in a frantic final stretch. The key moment came when Messi delivered a pinpoint delivery to Cristian Romero, whose header found the net and completed the comeback.
That assist was Messi’s 9th across all World Cup tournaments, passing the Argentine icon whose shadow he spent most of his career trying to escape. Maradona held the record at 8 assists. Messi didn’t just match it. He broke it, and he did it in the most Messi way possible: in a moment where Argentina needed him most.
