SOCCER: Magic mortal Messi rescues Argentina and lives to fight another day

Lionel Messi rescued Argentina's FIFA World Cup title defense with a crucial late goal after missing a first-half penalty in a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt in the Round of 16 on Tuesday at Atlanta Stadium.

Argentina found themselves trailing for the first time in the tournament after Egypt opened the scoring, and Messi missed a golden opportunity to equalize when his penalty was saved just minutes later. The miss marked the first time a player had failed to convert two penalties in a single FIFA World Cup, excluding penalty shootouts.

The defending champions fell 2-0 behind with just over 10 minutes remaining before launching a remarkable comeback. Cristian Romero pulled one goal back, and Messi leveled the match with a powerful half-volley after a pass from Julian Alvarez. The goal was Messi's 21st in World Cup history and his ninth consecutive World Cup match with a goal.

Messi's performance was a tale of two halves. He struggled to make an impact early, striking a free kick against the post and missing several chances while Egypt's disciplined defense limited his influence.

Egypt continued to threaten after halftime and doubled its lead through Mostafa Zico after having an earlier goal ruled out. Argentina responded with renewed urgency, as Romero's goal sparked the comeback before Messi's equalizer shifted the momentum firmly in favor of the reigning champions.

Following the final whistle, Messi was overcome with emotion and was comforted by his teammates after Argentina narrowly avoided a shock elimination.

"Leo (Messi) keeps showing what a great legend he is, and we're happy to be able to be with him," striker Julian Alvarez told reporters. "I'm not usually someone who gets emotional, but today I felt it deeply."

Argentina had already survived a difficult extra-time victory over Cape Verde in the previous round, and Egypt pushed the defending champions even closer to elimination before their late rally.

Argentina will face either Switzerland or Colombia in the quarterfinals on Saturday as it continues its pursuit of another World Cup title. -Reporting by Trevor Stynes, editing by Ed Osmond/Reuters