Messi named best player again as Argentina rally past Egypt in World Cup Round of 16

Lionel Messi was awarded Man of the Match in Argentina's Round of 16 tie against Egypt at the 2026 World Cup, a game that saw the defending champions come from behind to advance. The Argentine captain missed a first-half penalty at Atlanta Stadium in the United States — his second failed spot-kick of the tournament. No player had ever missed two penalties in a single World Cup before. As a result, Argentina went into the break trailing, and Egypt doubled their lead after the restart. But Scaloni's side ended two separate winless streaks on the world stage with a stirring comeback. Messi contributed a goal and an assist to complete the turnaround. This was his fourth Player of the Match award at the 2026 World Cup — only the group-stage match against Jordan (3-1) saw him miss out on the honor, the highest number of MVP awards of any player in the tournament. In the quarterfinals on Sunday, July 12, at 04:00, Argentina will face either Switzerland or Colombia.