Key events
Ed Aarons was at Atlanta Stadium, and here’s his report. Congratulations to Argentina, commiserations to Egypt, and thank you, dear reader, for sticking with the MBM. Switzerland-Colombia up next!
Post-match postbag. “Egypt showed in the second half that they can really play but for some reason stopped doing so. It was never a penalty and the Egyptian response has been really poor. Such a shame they stopped playing when it’s clear this Argentina team can be gotten at” – Niall Mullen
“Would have been a soft penalty for Egypt but was that tug any less than what the Egyptian goal was disallowed for?” – Stuart Lawson
“Egypt pull on Argentina shirt followed by 500 replays and a disallowed goal for Egypt that happened at the other end of the pitch. Argentina pull on Egypt shirt in their box? Zero replays, play on and goal at other end of the pitch allowed. No skin in the game, but that wouldn’t have been given against a Messi team. Scandalous” – Hugh Molloy
“VAR is supposed to be used for clear and obvious mistakes and the only thing here clear and obvious is Egypt feel absolutely robbed” – Eric Pye
“We all know 2-0 is the most dangerous score. All that aside, I for one am glad that the football gods won’t deny us the absolute chicanery that will be Argentina v Colombia, should they get there” – Casiano Martinez
“Argentina had the easiest opponent in the round of 32 as well as the round of 16. They are going to have the easiest opponent in the round of eight. In the semi-finals, they will be the easiest opponent” – Antti Lustila
“Maybe Egypt can give Trump a new plane or pyramid and he can make a call to Fifa about these goals?” – Graham G Martin
Argentina will now play the winner of Switzerland v Colombia in Kansas City on Sunday. Egypt will go home, having perhaps been dealt a rough hand by the officials: a goal ruled out for a clip way back in the move, plus two late penalty shouts turned down just before Argentina’s winner. “Sometimes the bigger teams do seem to get the benefit of the decisions,” admits Roy Keane on ITV, “but it shouldn’t take away from what Argentina have achieved.”
Updated at 14.24 EDT
Lionel Messi, so often a study in cool detachment, is crying with delight. His missed penalty could have been so costly for Argentina; instead his assist and goal in a four-minute-and-18-second spell hauled his team back level, before Enzo Fernandez sealed the deal in added time. Argentina cavort in a mix of glee and relief: number four is still on! Egypt meanwhile stare into the distance in disbelief, having lost a two-goal lead that had been richly deserved. Mo Salah bereft. It won’t make much difference right now, but perhaps later it’ll be reassuring to know that they didn’t throw anything away today: they simply came up against a force of nature with genius in his boots.
Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates with teammates after the 3-2 victory over Egypt. Photograph: Elsa/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 14.16 EDT
FULL TIME: Argentina 3-2 Egypt
Egypt came so close to one of the great World Cup upsets. Instead Argentina completed one of the great World Cup comebacks. Messi in tears of joy!
Tears run down the cheeks of Lionel Messi as he celebrates Argentina’s victory. Photograph: Amanda Perobelli/ReutersShare
Updated at 14.18 EDT
90 min +11: Lautaro Martinez takes the ball to the corner. He wins a throw. Then goes nose to nose with Attia. Egypt so frustrated.
90 min +9: Hossam Hassan, still irate over the Mac Allister incident, is booked for telling it as he sees it.
90 min +8: Attia is booked for a clip on Lautaro Martinez.
90 min +7: If Argentina see this out, it’ll be the first time they’ll have come back from two goals down to win at the World Cup.
90 min +6: The game restarts. Poor Salah looks utterly devastated. Fathy is booked for continuing the protests. Mac Allister did tug Fathy … but it would have been a terribly soft decision to penalise him.
90 min +5: Otamendi and Medina come on for Romero and Alvarez, while Zizo replaces Lasheen for Egypt.
90 min +4: Egypt are fuming. They think Mac Allister pulled Fathy to the ground in his own box just before Argentina countered and scored. Shobeir is booked for protesting. A member of their staff races onto the pitch and earns himself a red card.
ShareGOAL! Argentina 3-2 Egypt (Fernandez 90+2)
Alvarez sprays the ball to Lautaro Martinez on the right. Martinez crosses, finding the head of the in-rushing Fernandez, who plants into the top-right corner, and Argentina have completed the comeback!
Enzo Fernandez plants a header goalwards … Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty ImagesAnd Argentina have the lead for the first time in the game. Photograph: Omar Aziz/ReutersScenes. Photograph: Marco Bello/ReutersShare
Updated at 14.19 EDT
90 min +2: The best form of defence for Egypt may be attack. Hany crosses from the right. Trezeguet competes for a header, and there are claims Mac Allister eases Fathy to the floor. But that’s not given. Then Salah cuts in from the right only to be stripped by Alvarez just inside the box. No penalty for that, either. Then Argentina go up the other end, and …
Updated at 14.17 EDT
90 min +1: Egypt launch a four on three counter! But Marmoush runs slap-bang into Paredes, whose last-man sliding block saves the day for Argentina!
90 min: There will be seven additional minutes.
89 min: Lautaro Martinez snaffles the ball from Hafez, who hauls him down. A free kick. Martinez briefly considers throwing hands, but thinks better of it. Messi sends the free kick low and hard towards the near post. Mac Allister tries to poke it goalward, but Shobeir blocks and the ball’s cleared. Argentina so close to completing a remarkable comeback!
87 min: Egypt are missing the out ball to Hassan. They can’t get out of their half at the moment.
85 min: Messi wasn’t missing from 12 yards that time. An absolute carpe-diem blooter. Four minutes and 18 seconds between the two Argentinian goals.
ShareGOAL! Argentina 2-2 Egypt (Messi 83)
You can’t keep a good man down! Messi crosses from the right. Egypt don’t deal with it. Lautaro Martinez hooks back from the left. Alvarez cushions it into the path of Messi. The ball sits up, and with little backlift, Messi lashes home! The keeper no chance!
Argentina’s Lionel Messi (right) shoots … Photograph: Chris Carlson/APAnd Argentina are level. Photograph: Elsa/Getty ImagesMessi wheels away in celebration. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PAShare
Updated at 13.59 EDT
82 min: Messi dribbles daintily down the right and dinks infield for Lautaro Martinez, whose downward header from six yards clanks wide right. Big chance. Big miss. Egypt, all of a sudden, are hanging on.
81 min: Messi and Mac Allister combine down the right to win a corner. Messi trots over to send it in. No obvious sign of panic from the great man … but his delivery is cleared by Egypt.
80 min: Egypt respond by replacing the goalscorer Zico with Marmoush.
ShareGOAL! Argentina 1-2 Egypt (Romero 79)
Messi curls in from the right. Romero, left unmarked, six yards out, forces a header into the right-hand side of the net. Shobeir gets a hand to it, but can’t keep it out. Argentina aren’t out yet!
Cristian Romero heads home to get Argentina back in the match. Photograph: Carlos Barría/ReutersShare
Updated at 13.49 EDT
78 min: Zico slips Trezeguet into the Argentina box down the left. He’s free … but facing a tight angle. He swishes a fierce drive into the side netting. Argentina on the brink.
76 min: Trezeguet has come on for the injured Hassan, who will be a big miss for Egypt. Hassan was exciting enough against Australia the other day; he’s been sensational this afternoon!
75 min: Gonzalez hooks in from the left. Lautaro Martinez sticks out a leg and diverts the ball harmlessly wide right.
73 min: The game restarts. Argentina have swapped Molina for Montiel. “God has made it clear he hates VAR,” claims Evan Crocker.
71 min: … and that’s drinks. Goodness knows Argentina need one. Something perhaps stronger than the “tea, coffee and fresh juices” offered by Egypt.
69 min: Hassan, Salah and Zico have been immense today … and that was their reward. What a combo! “I just wonder whether an envy-ridden Cristiano Ronaldo is in a hotel room somewhere sticking pins into a voodoo doll of Leo Messi,” writes Colum Fordham. “Nothing else would explain why La Pulga is playing so poorly (by his lofty standards) today.”
ShareGOAL! Argentina 0-2 Egypt (Zico 67)
Zico scores again, and this time it’ll count! From the Argentinian corner, Salah streaks off on the counter. He drives at Romero, then feeds Hassan on the right. Hassan zips past Molina, reaches the byline, and cuts back for Zico who slams home from six yards! The shock is really on now!
Egypt’s Mostafa Zico prepares to shoot … Photograph: Omar Aziz/ReutersAnd fires the ball past Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez to double Egypt’s lead. Photograph: Buda Mendes/Getty ImagesZico wheels away in celebration. Photograph: Paul Childs/ReutersZico and teammates celebrate in front of joyous Egypt fans and downcast Argentina fans. Photograph: Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images/ReutersShare
Updated at 13.45 EDT
66 min: De Paul crosses long from the left. Zico, under no pressure, chests behind for a corner. Before it can be taken, Lautaro Martinez and Gonzalez come on for De Paul and Tagliafico.
64 min: If that doesn’t wake Argentina up from their sleepwalking, nothing will. They continue to press Egypt back, but the red shirts hold their shape. “Maybe, if Argentina lose, Fifa will insist on Messi playing for one of the teams in the final? With a few Americans to keep Trump happy?” Shh, David Marriott, for goodness sake, don’t be giving Gianni any ideas.
62 min: A huge let-off for Argentina, who were absolutely shredded on the counter there. But a free kick’s a free kick. That’s got the crowd going, though. Some atmosphere now.
ShareNO GOAL! Argentina 0-1 Egypt
Ah shame. VAR intervenes. At the start of the move, deep in the Egyptian half, Attia tugged at Lisandro Martinez and stood on his foot. It’s a free kick. The correct decision, but heartbreak for Egypt, who “scored” one of the great counter-attack goals.
Updated at 13.27 EDT
GOAL! Argentina 0-2 Egypt (Zico 58)
A man named after a great Brazilian might have just knocked Argentina out of the World Cup! Hassan dances his way elegantly down the right. He cuts infield and feeds Salah, who slips the ball into the box for Zico, coming in from the left. Zico gets there ahead of Emi Martinez, and whips past the keeper and into the net! Wow!
Egypt’s Mostafa Zico dinks the ball over Emi Martine and into the net Photograph: Omar Aziz/ReutersShare
Updated at 13.31 EDT
57 min: Tagliafico curls a cross in from the left. That’s easy for Shobeir. “I do love it when an Englishman or woman (it’s never a woman) indulges in some getting ahead of themselves such as, say, saying that England’s path to the final is pre-ordained,” writes Niall Mullen. “Even if tongue-in-cheek it not only throws yet more wood onto the inevitable celtic schadenfreude bonfire but also throws banana peels all along the path they wish to walk.”