Mostafa Zico’s second goal, which was called off, became the story of the night. Argentina staged one of the most dramatic comebacks of the FIFA World Cup 2026, defeating Egypt 3-2 in the Round of 16 after trailing by two goals. However, one of the biggest talking points of the match came midway through the second half when Mostafa Zico appeared to score his second goal of the night, only for VAR to intervene and rule it out. The decision proved crucial as it kept Argentina in the contest before the defending champions mounted a sensational fightback.

Why was Zico’s second goal ruled out?

The incident occurred early in the second half when Egypt launched a swift counterattack. Mostafa Zico calmly finished the move to seemingly double his side’s advantage and make it 2-0. The Egyptian players celebrated, believing they had taken firm control of the knockout clash.

Moments later, however, the referee was alerted by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and stopped play for a review. After examining the footage, officials ruled that Egypt midfielder Mohamed Attia had fouled Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez during the build-up to the goal.

Since the infringement occurred before Zico found the net, the goal was disallowed under FIFA’s Laws of the Game. As a result, Egypt’s lead remained at 1-0 instead of being extended to two goals.

A turning point in the match

The overturned goal changed the momentum of the contest. Instead of facing a daunting two-goal deficit, Argentina remained within striking distance and gradually found their rhythm in the closing stages.

Egypt eventually did score a second goal through Zico later in the match to restore a two-goal cushion. But Argentina produced a stunning response. Cristian Romero headed home to reduce the deficit before Lionel Messi, who had earlier missed a penalty, equalised with a composed finish.

Deep into stoppage time, Enzo Fernandez completed the remarkable comeback by scoring the winning goal to seal a 3-2 victory and send Argentina into the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals.

The disallowed goal has since become one of the most debated incidents of the tournament. While Egyptian fans argued the decision altered the course of the match, the officials maintained that the VAR review correctly identified the foul in the attacking phase, making the cancellation of Zico’s strike the right call under the laws of the game.