Argentina captain Lionel Messi has confessed that his emotional breakdown after Tuesday’s dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Egypt was driven by guilt over a missed first-half penalty, not the euphoria of a last-gasp victory.
In a candid post-match interview, the 39-year-old admitted he felt he had failed his teammates when Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir saved his 20th-minute spot-kick in Atlanta.
“I cried because I felt that I let my teammates down because of the penalty I missed and the way I took it,” Messi revealed. “But thankfully, once again, God had something special for me in the end. I’m very happy.”
Argentina were staring at an early exit after Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico put Egypt 2-0 ahead, but Messi ignited a stunning turnaround. He assisted Cristian Romero’s goal, netted the 83rd-minute equaliser, and watched Enzo Fernández snatch a stoppage-time winner to seal a quarter-final berth.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner insisted the squad never entertained the thought of going home early. “We didn’t want and didn’t deserve to go home. We could not let it end like that,” he said. “This group really deserved to keep going. We never give up, at all. Never.”
Messi’s equaliser was his eighth goal of the tournament, propelling him back to the top of the Golden Boot race ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. It also extended his remarkable record of scoring in six consecutive World Cup knockout matches.
While the tearful final whistle was widely seen as a poignant moment for what is expected to be his final World Cup campaign, Messi made it clear that the source of his emotion was personal accountability, not triumph.
Seunmanuel Faleye is a brand and communications strategist. He is a covert writer and an overt creative head. He publishes Apple’s Bite International Magazine.
