'One very special human': Beckham hails Messi after Argentina's comeback win

Former England captain David Beckham paid an emotional tribute to Lionel Messi after the Argentina captain inspired a stunning comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Beckham, who serves as co-owner and president of Inter Miami CF, shared two Instagram stories following Argentina's dramatic victory, praising both Messi's footballing brilliance and his personality.

"This is one very special Human. Not just because of what he does on the pitch but who he is off it," Beckham wrote alongside a photograph of the Argentine star. In another post, he simply added: "Nothing more to say."

The two have built a close professional relationship since Messi joined Inter Miami in one of the biggest transfers in football history, with Beckham playing a leading role in convincing the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner to move to Major League Soccer.

Messi once again repaid that faith with a decisive performance as defending champions Argentina overturned a two-goal deficit to keep their title defence alive.

Egypt made the brighter start when Yasser Ibrahim headed home in the 15th minute. Goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir then frustrated Argentina with a series of outstanding saves, including stopping Messi's first-half penalty.

Egypt looked set for a major upset after Mostafa Ziko doubled the lead in the 67th minute.

Argentina responded late in the match. Cristian Romero pulled one back with a header from Messi's free-kick in the 79th minute before Messi equalised four minutes later with a powerful strike from outside the penalty area. Enzo Fernández then completed the comeback with a stoppage-time winner to send Argentina into the quarter-finals.

The equaliser added another milestone to Messi's remarkable World Cup career. The 39-year-old became the first player to score in nine consecutive FIFA World Cup matches and took his tally in the ongoing tournament to eight goals, his highest return in a single World Cup campaign.

The goal also extended Messi's all-time World Cup tally to 21. According to Opta, he became the first player to score in six successive World Cup knockout matches and matched Guillermo Stábile's Argentina record of eight goals in a single World Cup, set in 1930.

Despite another match-winning display, Messi also recorded an unwanted statistic. His penalty save by Shobeir marked the second spot-kick he has missed during the tournament, making him the first player to miss two penalties in a single FIFA World Cup edition, excluding shootouts. His four missed penalties across World Cup tournaments are also the most by any player.

Argentina's victory sets up a quarter-final clash against Switzerland as Lionel Scaloni's side continues its pursuit of back-to-back World Cup titles.