Drama, Goals, and Influencer Scrutiny
Argentina Stages Stunning World Cup Comeback Led by Messi, FIFA Probes iShowSpeed
Key Points
iShowSpeed, a Ronaldo superfan with around 57 million YouTube subscribers and 53 million TikTok followers, was positioned behind Messi’s penalty attempt and live-streaming the moment; FIFA later confirmed they are opening an investigation into his conduct for the interaction.
Messi’s penalty miss was noted as the fourth non-shootout penalty miss in his FIFA World Cup career, the most by any player in tournament history; after the miss he said he was angry but trusted there was something special in store, and he later scored the equaliser to spark the comeback.
Argentina’s turnaround came in a rapid 13-minute spell, with Cristian Romero pulling them back from 2-0, Messi leveling, and Enzo Fernandez completing the comeback with a late strike to seal a 3-2 win.
Egypt took an early lead through Yasser Ibrahim's 15th-minute header from a Marwan Attia corner, while Argentina also saw a penalty saved by Mostafa Shobeir before later equalising and completing the comeback.
Lionel Messi missed a first-half penalty but still scored the equalizer as Argentina came back from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2 in the World Cup Round of 16 on July 7 The Sun. The win kept Argentina alive in what many are calling Messi's final World Cup, and it sparked immediate controversy — on the pitch and off it.
The drama did not end with the final whistle. Influencer iShowSpeed was caught on camera trying to distract Messi during his penalty attempt, and FIFA has since confirmed it opened an investigation into his conduct Marca.
Argentina's 13-Minute Comeback Stuns Egypt
Egypt dominated for much of the match. Yasser Ibrahim headed in a Marwan Attia corner in the 15th minute to give Egypt the lead. Egypt's Mostafa Ziko added a second in the 67th minute to make it 2-0. Argentina looked finished JFeed.
Then Argentina scored three goals in just 13 minutes. Cristian Romero headed in a Messi cross in the 79th minute. Messi equalized in the 83rd minute. Enzo Fernández headed in a Lautaro Martínez cross in the 92nd minute to seal the 3-2 win Lokmat Times.
Messi's Penalty Miss Makes World Cup History
The miss against Egypt was Messi's fourth non-shootout penalty miss in World Cup history — the most by any player ever Lokmat Times. Over his entire World Cup career, he has taken eight regular-play penalties and scored only four — a 50% conversion rate.
Messi was blunt after the game. "I was very angry about the missed penalty," he said. "I felt that at an important moment I had let the group down." But he added that he trusted "God once again had something special in store" — and he was right Lokmat Times.
iShowSpeed's Penalty Stunt Triggers FIFA Probe
iShowSpeed — real name Darren Jason Watkins Jr. — sat directly behind the goalpost during Messi's penalty attempt. He was wearing an Egyptian jersey and live-streaming to his roughly 57 million YouTube subscribers and 53 million TikTok followers The Sun. He visibly tried to put Messi off as the kick was taken.
FIFA confirmed it opened an investigation into his conduct Marca. Speed is a known Ronaldo superfan, which added fuel to the story online. On social media, fans noted that Egypt became the eighth country Speed had cheered for in person at this World Cup — and the eighth to be eliminated.
Egypt Cries Foul Over Refereeing Decisions
Egypt's camp was furious after the game. Coach Hossam Hassan accused FIFA of protecting its biggest star. "It's all about money," he said. "They want Messi to stay in the tournament." Forward Mostafa Ziko went further, saying on a live broadcast: "The tournament is directed... it's clear that this tournament is fixed."
The Egyptian Football Association filed a formal complaint with FIFA on July 8, demanding the removal of French referee François Letexier from future matches JFeed. Egypt pointed to two VAR decisions: a disallowed Ziko goal and the failure to stop play for an apparent foul on Mohamed Salah just before Fernández's winning goal.
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