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Lionel Scaloni expressed that he never lost faith in Argentina’s ability to overturn the match, even when his side trailed 2-0 with less than 15 minutes left to play against Egypt.

The ongoing theme of Argentina’s World Cup knockout run this year has been their tendency to make things difficult for themselves — and that pattern continued on Tuesday.

Following a tense extra-time victory over Cape Verde, secured by a late goal from Cristian Romero, Argentina once again had to fight back dramatically to defeat Egypt 3-2.

“Against Cape Verde, it was even worse; we really looked in trouble. Today, even when it was 0-2, I felt that at some point we would get a chance and could turn it around,” Scaloni explained. “Today we played completely different football.”

He added, “I always felt the game was leaning our way. Regardless of the scoreline, I didn’t think the team was playing badly. We created opportunities.”

Scaloni also heaped praise on Lionel Messi, who missed a first-half penalty but later struck the equaliser late in the match.

“I’m convinced that he plays football for moments like this. For him to experience such emotions at this stage of his career is beyond words,” said Scaloni.

“It was an unforgettable moment, one of the best,” the coach continued. “Whatever happens next, this team always gives me the feeling that it never stops believing, even when everything seems to go against it.”

Scaloni was visibly emotional after the match, and he shared how it felt to win in such dramatic fashion.

“I always get emotional. Sometimes the tears just come out,” Scaloni told journalists. “I cried in the dressing room too. The boys even call me ‘the crybaby,’ but I don’t mind.”

He added, “For all of us who played football for 20 years, to relive emotions like today’s is unbelievable. I think many of us who move into coaching do so for days like this — for those feelings, for that rush of adrenaline.”