World Cup 2026: Heartbroken Mostafa Shoubir laments Egypt’s dramatic exit after Argentina’s comeback

Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir admitted his side were left devastated after surrendering a two-goal advantage in a dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Pharaohs looked on course to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history after producing an impressive display against the defending champions, only for Argentina to stage a stunning second-half comeback to snatch victory.

Reflecting on the painful defeat, an emotional Shoubir said Egypt had allowed a historic opportunity to slip away.

“We were so close to victory,” he said after the match.

“Small details make the difference in the big games. We’re sad because we had the match in our hands.”

Egypt made a bright start and believed they had doubled their lead early in the contest after Mostafa Zico found the back of the net moments after opening the scoring. However, following a lengthy VAR review, the goal was ruled out after officials detected a foul on Lisandro Martínez in the build-up.

Despite the setback, the North Africans remained composed and were eventually rewarded when Zico scored again to restore Egypt’s two-goal advantage, leaving them within touching distance of a famous victory and a maiden appearance in the last eight of the tournament.

Argentina, however, responded with the resilience expected of the reigning world champions.

Cristian Romero ignited the comeback by reducing the deficit before Lionel Messi, who had earlier been denied from the penalty spot, drew his side level with his eighth goal of the tournament.

With momentum firmly on Argentina’s side, Enzo Fernández completed the turnaround by scoring the decisive goal, ending Egypt’s dream run in heartbreaking fashion.

The result sends Argentina into the quarter-finals, where they will face Switzerland on Sunday, July 12, with kick-off scheduled for 01:00 GMT.

Although Egypt’s campaign ended in disappointment, the Pharaohs earned widespread praise for pushing one of the tournament favourites to the limit and came agonisingly close to writing a new chapter in the nation’s World Cup history.