Argentina secured a 3-2 victory over Egypt in the 2026 World Cup Round of 16 after erasing a two-goal deficit in the final 15 minutes of regulation. Following the match, Brazilian football legend Rivaldo publicly praised Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team, breaking from the traditional rivalry between the two South American nations. Rivaldo posted his thoughts to Instagram on Wednesday, highlighting the 39-year-old captain’s continued impact in his sixth tournament appearance.
“He continues to show the same passion for the Argentina jersey: celebrating, fighting, crying and, once again, being decisive,” Rivaldo wrote. He added that while he maintains his Brazilian loyalties, he respects a strong performance on the global stage. Regional syndicates quickly highlighted his quotes regarding the veteran forward.
Egypt controlled the scoreboard for most of the match. Yasser Ibrahim scored in the 15th minute, and Mostafa Ziko extended the lead in the 67th minute. Messi missed a penalty kick in the first half, leaving the defending champions near elimination. Cristian Romero scored in the 79th minute to start the scoring sequence. Messi then tied the game in the 83rd minute, and Enzo Fernández secured the win with a goal in stoppage time (90′).
Messi’s 83rd-minute equalizer made him the first player in history to score in nine consecutive FIFA World Cup matches. The goal also marked his sixth successive World Cup knockout match with a goal, bringing his all-time tournament scoring record to 21. His assist to Romero directly sparked the comeback.
The Egyptian camp aggressively disputed the final result. Head coach Hossam Hassan stated his team was cheated, pointing to an alleged foul on Mohamed Salah that occurred immediately before Argentina’s winning goal. The reaction from Egyptian coaches included direct criticism of the refereeing crew and the implementation of VAR during the closing moments of the game.