Argentina captain Lionel Messi has revealed that the tears he shed after Tuesday's dramatic World Cup victory over Egypt were driven by the disappointment of missing a penalty rather than the excitement of securing a place in the quarter-finals.
Argentina staged a remarkable recovery from two goals behind to defeat Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta. Messi saw an early penalty saved but later inspired the turnaround by providing the assist for Cristian Romero, scoring the equaliser himself, before Enzo Fernandez struck deep into stoppage time to seal the dramatic victory.
Reflecting on the encounter after the final whistle, Messi admitted that the missed penalty remained on his mind throughout the match. He explained that the emotions overwhelmed him because he believed he had disappointed his teammates, not only by failing to convert the spot-kick but also because of the way he executed it.
He added that, thankfully, God once again had something special in store for him in the end, saying he was very happy with how things turned out.
He said the team's refusal to accept elimination was what carried them through, stating that they neither wanted nor deserved to go home, and that they could not let the match end that way. He said the group truly deserved to keep going, insisting that they never give up, at all.
Messi's penalty was brilliantly stopped by Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir in the 20th minute, shortly after Yasser Ibrahim had given Egypt the lead.
The North Africans doubled their advantage through Mostafa Zico, but Argentina mounted an inspired response. Messi first created Romero's goal before finding the net himself in the 83rd minute to level the contest, with Fernandez completing the comeback by scoring the decisive winner in stoppage time.
Messi's strike was his eighth goal of the tournament, moving him back to the top of the Golden Boot race ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. The goal also extended his remarkable record of scoring in six successive World Cup knockout matches.
The Argentine legend was visibly emotional after the final whistle, with many expecting this tournament to mark the final World Cup appearance of his illustrious career.
Argentina will now continue their campaign with a quarter-final showdown against Switzerland on July 11 in Kansas City.
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