VIDEO: Messi in tears after Argentina Round of 16 victory

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Argentina captain Lionel Messi was overcome with emotion, shedding tears after his country completed a comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 in the Round of 16 and keep their World Cup title defence alive.

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Argentina were on the brink of elimination at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Tuesday, trailing 0-2 as late as the 75th minute after Messi missed a penalty when his side was 1-0 down.

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But the defending champions produced a remarkable turnaround after Cristian Romero headed home in the 79th minute to spark hope.

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Messi equalised in the 85th minute with a clinical finish, and Enzo Fernández headed the winner in stoppage time from Lautaro Martínez’s cross.

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A video circulating online captures the moment the referee blew the final whistle amid a frantic finish.

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It shows Messi pumping his fists, visibly in tears, before covering his face.

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Watch the video below:

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𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎: 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝟏𝟔 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

Credit: X | 10xVini

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July 7, 2026

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He was immediately rushed and embraced by his teammates, who lifted him in jubilation.

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Despite missing a crucial chance to equalise earlier in the game, Messi later proved central to the revival.

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The eight-time Ballon d’Or provided an assist and scored to extend his record of goals in nine consecutive World Cups.

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Egypt, who led through Yasser Ibrahim and Zico, mounted fierce resistance and nearly added more on the counter, but Argentina’s late surge proved decisive.

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The win propels Argentina into the quarter-finals, where their campaign continues.

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