Lionel Messi couldn’t contain his emotions at the final whistle as Argentina staged a thrilling late comeback to beat Egypt 3-2 in the Round of 16. After watching old rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar suffer painful exits in previous matches, the Inter Miami star shed tears of joy as the reigning champions secured their place in the quarter-finals.At the final whistle, after confirming Argentina’s victory over Egypt, he released all his tension and cried as if he had not won everything in football, as if nothing else mattered, or as if it was the first time.The game has it all. Argentina trailed 2-0 with just over ten minutes of regulation remaining, sparking one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. And then Messi took over. He placed Cristian Romero’s header to make it 2-1. He scored himself four minutes later, a clinical finish that made him the first player in history to score six consecutive World Cup knockouts. Then Enzo Fernández headed home a cross from Lautaro Martínez in stoppage time to complete a comeback that left the football world speechless.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi reacts after their comeback World Cup round of 16 win over Egypt. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Lautaro Martínez summed it up perfectly after the match. “He should cry,” he said of Messi. “Because he was our example, our guide, the one who helped us a lot.”For Messi, the images of his emotional celebration will serve as a defining moment of this World Cup, illustrating that even after all his success, the hunger to win with his country remains as strong as ever.Ronaldo cried in the Dallas loss 24 hours ago. Neymar cried in the New Jersey loss the night before. On Tuesday in Atlanta, Messi cried in victory and the difference between the two sets of tears tells you everything where he stands above everyone else this season.The dream of back-to-back World Cups is alive. Messi is alive. And that image of the greatest football player who ever lived, flat on the grass in Atlanta with tears streaming down his face, was the picture of the entire tournament.