Lionel Messi Admitted he felt he had “let the team down” after missing a first-half penalty against Egypt but played a decisive role in Argentina’s comeback to reach the final fifa world cup Quarterfinals. The defending champions were on the verge of elimination after falling behind 2-0 in the 67th minute of the last 16 match. However, goals from Cristian Romero, Messi and Enzo Fernandez within 13 minutes completed a stunning comeback in a dramatic 3-2 victory. Messi’s missed penalty earlier in the game could prove costly. The Argentina captain had his penalty denied by Egyptian goalkeeper Mustafa Schobel, conceding the fourth non-penalty shootout of his World Cup career and the most by any player in World Cup history. Reflecting on the post-match emotional rollercoaster, Messi admitted he was deeply frustrated by the mistake and worried he had let his teammates down. “Yeah, it’s definitely a relief, a relief for everyone. As I said, I was really angry about missing the penalty and the way I played. I felt like I let the team down in a big moment and luckily God had something special for me again at the end.“ Messi also praised Argentina’s fighting spirit, saying the team’s refusal to give up had once again helped them get through a difficult period. “I’ve said it many times and I repeat it often. This is a competitive team that always gives its best, never gives up, never puts down its weapons.” Argentina endured a frustrating opening hour as Egypt beat the favorites with Yasser Ibrahim’s header in the 15th minute. Messi’s penalty was then saved by Schobel, who then made more outstanding saves to deny Alexis McAllister and Julian Alvarez. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s free kick also hit the crossbar, with Argentina trailing 1-0 at the break. Egypt thought they had doubled their advantage early in the second half through Mustafa Zico, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review. In the 67th minute, Zico completed a quick counterattack with an excellent counterattack, and finally rewritten the score to 2-0. Mohamed Salah and Haitham Hassan. Argentina responded in stunning fashion. Romero sparked a reversal in the 79th minute when he headed a Messi free-kick, and four minutes later the captain equalized four minutes later with a fierce shot from outside the penalty area that deflected off the goalkeeper’s gloves and under the crossbar. With a few minutes left in overtime, Fernandez completed the comeback in stoppage time, firing a low shot into the bottom corner of the net to send Argentina into the quarter-finals, where they will face Switzerland on July 12.
