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Tearful Messi inspires Argentina’s great escape in World Cup thriller with Egypt

<p></p><p>The golden rule of football? Never write off Lionel Messi. Just when it looked like his dream of leading Argentina to the <em>bicampeonato</em> was in tatters, the 39-year-old came to his country’s rescue for the umpteenth time in spectacular fashion.</p><p>With 11 minutes to play and still reeling from Yasser Ibrahim’s early header and a second from Mostafa Ziko – named after the Brazil legend – Lionel Scaloni’s side were heading for the mother of all upsets against Egypt. Mostafa Shobair, whose father, Ahmed was the Pharaohs’ goalkeeper at the 1990 World Cup and whose time-wasting tactics against the Republic of Ireland resulted in the introduction of the back-pass rule two years later, seemed set to write a more positive chapter in his family’s history after a brilliant performance that saw him repel everything that the world champions could throw at them.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jul/07/argentina-egypt-world-cup-2026-last-16-match-report">Continue reading...</a>