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In the North and Central American World Cup, defending champion Argentina has advanced to the quarterfinals after a dramatic comeback victory against Egypt. Lionel Messi once again found the back of the net, proving once more why he is called the god of football.
Reporter Seo Dae-won has the story.
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Defending champion and strong title favorite Argentina fell behind early, conceding the opening goal to Egypt's Ibrahim just 15 minutes into the match.
In the 21st minute, Messi had a chance to equalize from a penalty kick, but his shot was blocked by the goalkeeper.
Having missed his second penalty of the tournament following the group stage match against Austria, Messi faced further frustration in the 31st minute when his sharp left-footed free kick struck the goalpost.
Argentina was pushed to the brink after conceding a second goal to Egypt's Zico in the 67th minute, trailing 2-0. In this moment of crisis, it was once again Messi who saved Argentina.
In the 79th minute, Messi provided a precise left-footed cross to assist defender Romero's header, sparking the comeback. Four minutes later, he scored the equalizer himself.
Amid a scramble in front of the goal, he found the back of the net with a left-footed volley.
With this goal, Messi has scored in all five matches of the tournament, bringing his tally to 8 goals. He has moved into sole possession of the lead in the Golden Boot race, one goal ahead of Mbappe and Haaland, and extended his record for the most goals in World Cup history to 21.
Fueled by Messi's momentum, Argentina completed the dramatic comeback with a winning goal from Fernandez during second-half stoppage time.
Turning a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 victory, Argentina dramatically advanced to the quarterfinals and continues its quest for back-to-back titles.
After missing a penalty and suffering from bad luck with the goalpost, Messi, who led the miraculous victory with an equalizer and an assist in the second half, could not contain his emotions and shed tears.
Argentina will play its quarterfinal match on July 12 against the winner of the Round of 16 match between Colombia and Switzerland.
Video by Lee Jae-sung
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