A comeback win on the biggest stage in world football is no mere feat, but Argentina’s comeback win over Egypt last night was nothing short of stunning.
Down two goals after 78 minutes, Lionel Messi orchestrated a frantic rescue mission in the final 15 minutes. He assisted Cristian Romero’s 79th-minute header, then scored the equaliser four minutes later. Enzo Fernández capped the rally with a stoppage-time winner to seal a 3-2 victory, setting a new record for the latest two-goal regulation-time comeback in World Cup knockout history.
HT Sports looks at some other memorable comebacks at the FIFA World Cup:
1. West Germany 3-2 Hungary (Final, 1954)
Known as the “Miracle of Bern,” the 1954 final defied all pre-match logic. Hungary’s ‘Mighty Magyars’ entered on a 32-match unbeaten streak and took a 2-0 lead within 10 minutes. Having lost 8-3 to Hungary in the group stage, West Germany appeared doomed. Instead, they mounted a fierce comeback in torrential rain. Max Morlock and Helmut Rahn levelled the score before halftime, and Rahn struck again in the 84th minute to secure West Germany’s first World Cup.
2. Belgium 3-2 Japan (RO16, 2018)
Japan stunned the Rostov Arena in Russia by taking an early 2-0 lead against Belgium in the second half of their 2018 Round of 16 clash. Facing elimination, Red Devils defender Jan Vertonghen sparked a revival with a looping header, followed shortly by a towering equaliser from Marouane Fellaini. In the dying seconds of stoppage time, Nacer Chadli finished off a flawless, length-of-the-pitch counter-attack to secure a 3-2 victory and break Japanese hearts.
3. Portugal 5-3 North Korea (QF, 1966)
North Korea threatened the biggest upset in tournament history by racing to a 3-0 lead within 25 minutes of the 1966 quarter-final. Portugal responded by leaning entirely on Eusébio. The legendary forward took over the match, scoring four consecutive goals to single-handedly dismantle the North Korean defence. José Augusto added a fifth to complete a 5-3 victory. Eusébio’s dominant performance remains the gold standard for individual rescue missions in World Cup history.
4. Austria 7-5 Switzerland (QF, 1954)
Dubbed the “Heat Battle of Lausanne,” this 1954 quarter-final remains the highest-scoring match in World Cup history. Host nation Switzerland surged to a 3-0 lead within 19 minutes, capitalising on a disorganised Austrian defence. But the away side responded immediately, exploiting the sweltering conditions to score five times in a chaotic spell before halftime. They held on to win 7-5 in an exhausting end-to-end shootout, eliminating the hosts in an unprecedented display of attacking football.
5. Belgium 3-2 Senegal (RO32, 2026)
Belgium produced a stunning comeback to eliminate Senegal in the 2026 Round of 32. Trailing 2-0 in Seattle following goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaïla Sarr, the Red Devils appeared doomed. However, substitute Romelu Lukaku sparked a late revival in the 86th minute, before Youri Tielemans equalised in the 89th to force extra time. Tielemans then converted a dramatic VAR-awarded penalty deep into stoppage time (120+5′) to seal a miraculous 3-2 victory.
