​How long can Argentina keep getting by while living on the edge in the World Cup knockout rounds? On Tuesday, the Argentines became the first team to overturn a two-goal deficit in the final 15 minutes of regulation without extra time in a World Cup knockout game, storming back to beat Egypt 3-2 after a 1-0 halftime deficit. They struck three times in 13 minutes, turning a near-certain setback into a dramatic victory for the defending champions.
This win came just days after Argentina needed extra time to defeat Cape Verde by the same 3-2 margin, though the two matches unfolded in strikingly different fashion. Against Cape Verde, Argentina led twice before Cape Verde equalized, including an extra-time strike by Sydny Lopes Cabral. The match appeared to swing decisively only after a late set-piece goal credited as an own goal for Cape Verde’s Diney Borges in the 111th minute, sealing the comeback.
On Tuesday, Argentina controlled the first half, dominating possession and creating numerous chances, yet they trailed 1-0 at the break. Yasser Ibrahim opened the scoring in the 15th minute, and that was Egypt’s only touch inside the Argentina penalty box for the entire half. In the second half, Egypt’s counter-attacks began to cut through Argentina’s defense, and the Argentines were fortunate not to fall behind by three goals when a spectacular goal was ruled out by VAR and denied as a second for Egypt.
The victory over Cape Verde marked Argentina’s third win in knockout rounds decided in extra time or by penalties in their last four knockout appearances. While the Egyptian comeback doesn’t fit that exact pattern, it underscores a recurring theme: Argentina often wins games they might be expected to lose, a capability that can be attributed in large part to their star player, Lionel Messi. He missed a first-half penalty on Tuesday, reminding fans that even the best can be imperfect, despite his moment of magic to level the score.
No matter the margins, there’s only so much a team can do when games swing on fine lines. Consider the Kansas City Chiefs, who rode a string of one-score wins to the Super Bowl in 2024 before a stunning loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and a shaky return in 2025, illustrating how fragile such margins can be even for exceptional squads. We can’t predict when Argentina’s luck will run out; Tuesday’s match could have marked Messi’s final World Cup appearance in his iconic kit with twenty minutes remaining. Yet this Argentina side continues to defy the odds, and with looming opponents who could threaten their hold on back-to-back titles, it would be prudent to curb the impulse to live on the edge.
Switzerland offers a reminder that, while not the most aesthetically pleasing in style, their approach is relentlessly effective. And in the World Cup, effectiveness is often enough. Switzerland edged Colombia 4-3 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes, a result that wasn’t pretty but secured a narrow, hard-fought progression. Ruben Vargas’s performance helped with the SEO and the scoreline, but it was the methodical, disciplined approach that prevailed in the end.