Would Messi have been lost to the World Cup forever had Argentina lost?
He would be 43 – the oldest outfield player to play at a World Cup – if he carried on to the next, though the lure of games being played in his home country may have sustained him.
Instead, Messi can look forward to a quarter-final here against either Switzerland or Colombia.
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, watching in Atlanta for BBC Radio 5 Live, said: “That was incredible. Spectacular. Argentina were down and out. They were out of the tournament at one point.
“Egypt are so frustrated with the refereeing decisions that have gone against them. They had a second goal disallowed before they got their second goal for an infringement that was almost on their own touchline.
“Then Lionel Messi just stepped in and took over. Beautiful assist, great finish for his goal, and then the substitutions worked for Argentina.”
Argentina’s recovery, and this was not simply the Messi show it should be said, also had implications for England who, when Egypt led, might just have believed it was a ‘now or never’ moment for reaching their first men’s World Cup final since 1966.
England’s path to the final was shaping up as Norway in the quarter-finals, then Egypt, Switzerland or Colombia in the last four if they got through.
Instead, there remains the shadow of Messi and Argentina as the potential obstacle should they overcome the dangerous Norwegians.
And Messi, even in advancing years, casts a giant shadow over any opponents, as Egypt found to their cost.
Messi became the first player in World Cup history to score in six consecutive knockout-phase games and now has eight goals in this one. It is the most by a player in the opening five games since West Germany’s Gerd Muller scored 10 in Mexico in 1970.
He has also contributed to 16 goals in his past nine World Cup games, with 13 goals and three assists.
England’s concern will be he still has the power to add more. And looks in the mood to do so.
