Egypt stunned Argentina in the World Cup 2026 last 16 when Zico scored in the 62nd minute, finishing off a quick move that began with Hassan driving down the right and Salah slipping the ball into the box. The goal left Argentina chasing the match in a knockout game that was already tilting toward Egypt on the counter-attack.
The strike mattered even more because VAR had already intervened earlier in the same move. The review ruled that Attia had tugged at Lisandro Martinez and stood on his foot at the start of the attack, overturning what had briefly looked like another Egyptian breakthrough. It was a major moment in a game where every decision carried elimination stakes.
Argentina had struggled to impose themselves for much of the half. At 50 minutes Hassan dribbled down the right and won a throw deep in Argentina’s half, and a minute later Paredes let the ball roll under his foot before Salah was away before the referee blew for a very soft free kick. Nothing came from the set piece, and Egypt continued to keep Argentina at arm’s length.
Messi was stopped by Fathy on the right at 56 minutes, and Argentina did not put the free kick into the box. A minute later Tagliafico curled a cross in from the left and Shobeir handled it easily. By 62 minutes, though, Egypt had found the moment that counted, and Argentina suddenly had work to do.
Argentina turned to Lautaro Martinez and Gonzalez for De Paul and Tagliafico in the 66th minute, a sign that the match needed a response before it slipped further away. By 69 minutes, Hassan, Salah and Zico were described as immense, and the report added at 71 minutes that Argentina needed drinks. The match was still in the balance, but Egypt had the clearer edge in a contest that was turning into a real knockout upset threat.
For readers following the wider Argentina run, the result sat against the backdrop of Lionel Messi Leads Argentina to Group J Top Spot — Argentina Match Today, but this was a very different kind of test. In the World Cup, especially in the last 16, a single counter-attack can change everything, and Egypt showed exactly that.
