Argentina rally past Egypt in stoppage time as VAR calls fuel debate in Jamaica

Argentina kept their World Cup title defence alive on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, overturning a two-goal deficit to defeat Egypt 3-2 in a dramatic round-of-16 clash that left officials, analysts and supporters divided over video review.

Yasser Ibrahim put Egypt ahead in the 15th minute and Mustafa Ziko made it 2-0 in the 67th. The Pharaohs looked set for the quarter-finals until Lionel Messi, who had missed a penalty earlier, pulled one back and set up Cristian Romero’s header to level the score. Enzo Fernández struck in stoppage time to send Argentina through.

Much of the post-match talk centred on VAR. Egypt had a second goal ruled out after a foul on Lisandro Martínez was spotted in the attacking phase of play. Former FIFA referee Victor Stewart said that decision followed the rules, because Egypt never lost possession before scoring. Yet many felt contact on Mohamed Salah in the buildup to Argentina’s winning goal deserved similar review. Stewart said he saw no foul on the replay, describing it as incidental contact as both players chased a loose ball.

Assistant under-20 national team coach Germaine Thomas said Egypt still had more than 20 minutes at 2-0 to see out the result, though he questioned inconsistent use of the monitor. Former Reggae Boy Tyrone Marshall argued the disallowed Egyptian goal broke Egypt’s rhythm, even though they scored again shortly after.

In Kingston, the result interrupted a street-side send-off. At Arnett Gardens, along Trenchtown’s Collie Smith Drive, Brazil supporters staged a mock funeral for Argentina, draping a casket in blue and white, believing the champions were heading home. Argentina’s late fightback turned celebration into disappointment for rival fans.

Elsewhere, Switzerland advanced to the last eight with a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Colombia after a goalless 120 minutes. The tie recorded the tournament’s lowest combined expected-goals figure at 0.7. Manuel Akanji missed for Switzerland, while Colombia failed from the spot through Davinson Sánchez and Juan Hernández.

Argentina will face Switzerland on Saturday, July 11, in the quarter-finals. Messi, 39, extended his run of scoring in nine straight World Cup matches and leads the Golden Boot race with eight goals, even as analysts note Cape Verde and Egypt have already pushed the holders close.