Atlanta, 08 July (H.S.):

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni praised his team's resilience and fighting spirit after its dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, saying the triumph was about much more than merely securing a place in the quarter-finals.

Speaking after the match, Scaloni said the victory reflected Argentina's identity as a team that never stops fighting until the final whistle.

We made our supporters suffer, even though we did not play a bad match, Scaloni said. These are the moments I coach for. What we witnessed today is far more significant than simply reaching the next round. Had we not fought until the very end, we would have been eliminated.

He said the final scoreline might give the impression that Argentina had struggled throughout the contest, but insisted the reality was very different.

Egypt are an outstanding team and they capitalised on their opportunities, he said. But we also created three or four excellent chances. Had we converted one or two of them earlier, the discussion today would have been completely different. We had to keep fighting until the end.

Despite Argentina trailing by two goals during the match, Scaloni said he never lost confidence that his side would stage a comeback.

I become concerned when the team loses control of a match, but that never happened today, he said. I always felt the game would eventually turn in our favour because we kept creating chances. Our problem was not weakness—it was our inability to convert those opportunities.

Captain Lionel Messi missed a penalty during the match but later played a pivotal role in Argentina's comeback.

Praising his captain, Scaloni said, Messi is an inspiration to every player. He missed a penalty, yet he never stopped asking for the ball and continued working tirelessly for the team. That is the hallmark of truly great players.

Scaloni added that although the match did not remind him of the FIFA World Cup final in Qatar, it evoked similar emotions.

Messi lives for moments like these in football, he said. As long as he continues to play, we want to cherish and enjoy these special occasions.

The Argentina coach also refused to take personal credit for the victory.

It would be meaningless to say we won because of my tactics, Scaloni said. We have world-class players, and our job is to use them effectively when required. There is no magic involved. The players make the difference, and that applies to the entire squad.

With the victory, Argentina advanced to the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026, where they will face Switzerland for a place in the last four.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar