Lionel Messi is crying. He hugs one comrade after another and weeps. There are many reasons why you don’t go to the gym. Fifteen minutes before the end of the game, he thought for once, it’s all over, the World Cup is over! But he proved once again why he is the best footballer of all time. Messi alone kept the team alive in the World Cup. The way Messi was cheered by his teammates after the game shows what the team would have been like without him.
In fact, without Messi, Argentina would never have won this match. Argentina was behind 0-2 in the match. Messi pulled Argentina from defeat in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Despite their defeat, Egypt won everyone’s hearts. Before the start of the game, Egypt’s football director said that their team has twenty-seven players. That’s what it felt like watching the Egypt game. Salah didn’t do much in the first half, but Ibrahim, Hasan and Zico repeatedly attacked the Argentine camp. Argentina coach Scaloni made three changes to the starting XI, but players including Alvarez failed to make much of an impact.
Argentina played a slow game from the start. Ibrahim took the opportunity to head Hassan’s cross to give Egypt the lead. Argentina got a penalty in the minute but Messi failed to score. This is Messi’s second penalty miss in the current World Cup. Messi had a chance to score from a free-kick, but the ball hit the post. Messi was surrounded by Egyptian players and two players surrounded him when he got the ball. It was the same in the second half. Egypt’s Zico scored a beautiful goal to give the team a 2-0 lead.
Playing time gradually decreases. Argentina fans in the gallery started to cry. Commentators also said that Messi will be seen for only 15 more minutes in the World Cup. Just then Lataro Martinez was brought down. Messi also changed his position and moved to the far right. Then Messi’s magic began. Messi’s cross was headed by Christian Romero. Messi equalized 2-2 with an own goal four minutes later, his eighth goal of this World Cup.
The real drama of the game was still to come. Egypt went ahead to score again but their defense was weak. Argentina took that opportunity. Enzo Fernandez headed in Lautaro’s pass from the right. Egypt is forced to bid farewell to the World Cup. Messi cried after winning the match. It showed how much pressure he was going through. It was Messi who took Argentina to the quarter-finals despite all the pressure.