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Argentina produced a stunning late comeback to beat Egypt 3-2 and secure a place in the World Cup quarter-finals, keeping alive Lionel Messi's bid to crown his final tournament with a fourth title. Trailing 2-0 until the 79th minute, the reigning champions struck three times in 13 minutes, with Messi setting up the first goal and scoring the equalizer before Enzo Fernández completed the turnaround in stoppage time.

The victory extended Argentina's unbeaten run to 11 World Cup matches and reinforced the squad's determination to carry their captain all the way. According to data provider Opta, Argentina's chances of winning the match had fallen to just 0.6 percent before the late flurry, but the team refused to let the tournament story end there, as the Buenos Aires Times reported.

Coverage comparison

Both reports from the Buenos Aires Times focus on the emotional weight of the comeback and its broader significance for the team's campaign. One piece emphasises the tactical and emotional resilience shown by Lionel Scaloni's side, describing the match as a confirmation of the champions' mentality. The other shifts attention to the cultural dimension, highlighting the emergence of a new terrace anthem, 'La cuarta estrella,' which has been embraced by players and fans as the team prepares to face Switzerland in the last eight.

While the two articles cover different angles, they are consistent on the key facts of the match and the song's origins. Both note that the anthem references Diego Maradona and the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands, and both describe the squad singing the refrain in the dressing room after the victory. The reports also agree on the tactical change made by Scaloni, who pushed Julián Álvarez to the tip of the attack and handed control of midfield to Leandro Paredes.

Key claims

  • Argentina came back from 2-0 down to defeat Egypt 3-2, a remarkable comeback that confirmed the champions' mentality and their determination to carry Lionel Messi all the way. No team had ever recovered from a 2-0 deficit with so little time remaining in a World Cup match, according to the Buenos Aires Times.
  • Messi set up Cristian Romero for Argentina's first goal and then scored the equalizer himself. Enzo Fernández completed the comeback in the second minute of stoppage time, sparking wild celebrations at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and across Argentina.
  • Argentina has not lost in 11 World Cup matches, demonstrating what the report describes as a bulletproof mentality.
  • Scaloni changed his tactical approach against Egypt, pushing Julián Álvarez to the tip of the attack and handing control of midfield to his trusted holding player Leandro Paredes.
  • The song 'La cuarta estrella' has become a new terrace anthem for Argentina fans, referencing Maradona and the Malvinas Islands. Its lyrics are set to the melody of 'No me arrepiento de este amor' by the late cumbia singer Gilda, following a long Argentine football tradition.
  • Players and staff embraced the song after the Egypt match. A video shared by the Argentine Football Association showed a group of players, led by Enzo Fernández, Lautaro Martínez and Nicolás González, singing the anthem as they celebrated.

Perspectives

Players

Lautaro Martínez, who provided the assist for the winning goal, described Messi as "our guide, our reference point, our leader," adding: "We'll keep giving everything for ourselves, but above all for him." The squad's celebrations, captured in a dressing-room video, showed players singing the new anthem with the chorus: "For the Malvinas, for Diego, for Leo's last one... Argentina, we want to see you crowned champions again."

Fans and anthem creators

The emergence of 'La cuarta estrella' reflects the enthusiasm of Argentina supporters across North America, who began singing the song at matches before it was taken up by the squad. The adaptation was written by Argentine musician Pablo Quintana, better known as 'Palmito,' who set new words to the melody of Gilda's classic hit. The anthem's chorus explicitly ties the team's mission to the memory of Diego Maradona and Argentina's sovereignty claim over the Malvinas Islands.