Inshallah, the boys played well. This is a term which is well associated with the Pakistan cricket team. But on Tuesday night, it applied to Argentina and the miraculous little magician Lionel Messi when they overturned a 2-0 deficit to score three goals in 15 minutes in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16. Yet another match for Messi, yet another panic attack for the fans!
There should be a public health advisory before every World Cup knockout game in which Argentina plays. And, Messi needs to stop giving his fans panic attacks and potential cardiac arrests. When the final whistle echoed around the Atlanta stadium in the Argentina vs Egypt fixture, Messi could no longer hide his emotions. After all, his team had just pulled off a miracle of overturning a 2-0 deficit.
Meanwhile, the fans were on the verge of collapsing. It is highly recommended that Argentinian fans consult their respective doctors. Those with blood pressure issues should keep medicines nearby. Smartwatches should be switched to emergency mode, and family members should know where the nearest hospital is.The sudden overturn
Against Egypt, defending champions Argentina were already 2-0 down till the 78th minute. Everything appeared to be falling apart. Messi had already missed a penalty, his second of the tournament, and for a while, he looked almost frozen, struggling to process the chaos unfolding around him. Then something changed.It was as if someone had flipped a switch. Suddenly, the same Messi who had seemed defeated was demanding the ball, driving at defenders, and refusing to let the tournament end this way.The comeback began with his brilliant lofted assist to Cristian Romero, who powered in a header. Minutes later, Messi produced a moment only he could create—a first-time strike that crashed in off the crossbar to level the score.And when Enzo Fernandez completed the turnaround with the winner after a counterattack, it felt as though Messi’s belief had spread through every player wearing an Argentina shirt.This is the exact problem with Messi. Somehow, somewhere down the line, he has made the fans believe that “it’s never over, until it’s over.” And his crazy, fanatic fans keep their fingers crossed till the end of the match, hoping, “Maybe he will pull off a miracle.”Most of the time, it usually happens.
