Messi bailed Argentina out against Egypt — but how long can his supporting cast keep underdelivering?
Argentina advanced dramatically against Egypt with Messi saving the team once again. But how long can his supporting cast keep falling short?
Penalty missed, team losing, pressure at its peak — and Messi stepped up to fix it. Again.
Argentina's qualification against Egypt on Tuesday was yet another chapter in a story that has repeated itself since the opening whistle of this World Cup: when Argentina is backed into a corner, the No. 10 shows up. The problem is what happens when he isn't at his best.
According to Trivela, not even the missed penalty — taken while his side was trailing 1–0 — knocked Messi off balance. It fell to him to spark the comeback — once again alone, once again carrying the weight of an entire national team on his back.
And the supporting cast? Nowhere to be found. It's a question that has been doing the rounds in fans' WhatsApp groups for a while now: where is everyone else?
Golmetria's model sees Argentina as the second-strongest force in the tournament, with a 22.3% chance of lifting the title — a figure that reflects genuine potential, but also a dangerous dependence on a single player to turn that potential into a trophy.
The market, however, is far more skeptical: the implied probability from the odds puts Argentina at just 7.5% — a significant divergence that may reflect precisely that collective fragility.
The knockout rounds are unforgiving. Against well-organized sides, a Messi having an off night — or simply a human one — may not be enough. Argentina need Di María, Mac Allister, Álvarez, or someone else to step up before it's too late.
The clock is ticking. And the World Cup waits for no one — not even the greatest of all time.