Lionel Messi and Argentina turned a World Cup knockout match into a full-blown sports-world event on Tuesday, rallying from a 2-0 hole to beat Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16.
Argentina spent most of the night chasing the game before flipping it in a hurry, scoring three times in a little more than 13 minutes late in the second half. Messi was right in the middle of it, setting up one goal and then scoring the equalizer himself as the comeback took shape.
Because the match was played at the same stadium where the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons call home, the reaction online immediately went there. Memes about Egypt letting the lead slip away spread fast, and the Falcons’ infamous Super Bowl LI collapse came right back into the conversation.
Tom Brady was among the first big names to jump in, saying Egypt’s late fade might have topped the Falcons’ 28-3 loss in Super Bowl LI. Brady’s New England Patriots won that title in overtime after trailing 28-3 in the third quarter.
Plenty of other athletes and personalities chimed in as the comeback unfolded. Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Brunson, Rio Ferdinand, Josh Hart, George Kittle and Budda Baker were among those reacting on social media, along with Chad Johnson, who wrote, “The worlds best sport & it’s not even close‼️”
Some of the posts leaned into the chaos of the moment, with jokes about Messi, Argentina and the Falcons all colliding in the same place. One post read, “That might top 28-3,” while another asked, “Did we just witness the greatest comeback in Mercedes-Benz Stadium history? 🤯”
The reaction kept rolling well beyond the sports stars. Domino’s Pizza UK posted, “Messi > Pizza,” and other accounts piled on with images and jokes about the comeback, the lead change and the stunned feeling of watching Argentina erase a two-goal deficit so quickly.
For a night that started with Egypt in control, the ending belonged to Messi and Argentina - and to everyone online trying to process what they had just seen.
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