Alexis Mac Allister‘s World Cup campaign continues after a thrilling comeback against Mohamed Salah‘s Egypt, booking a place in the quarter-final.
The defending world champions were expected to clinch a spot in the quarter-final with relative ease, but they were forced to weather another huge scare to secure a dramatic 3-2 win.
Mac Allister started in Argentina’s midfield, as Salah led the line for Egypt while carrying a hamstring strain into the match.
The script for what was anticipated to unfold quickly took a turn as Egypt scored first with a well-taken header from Yasser Ibrahim after just 15 minutes.
Merely six minutes later, Messi had the chance to level the scores, but his penalty was saved. He later clipped the upright as Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez were both impressively denied.
Salah then had a second-half assist for Mostafa Ziko ruled out, but he helped create the goal that did count minutes later to make it 2-0 with 23 minutes remaining.
What followed was a spectacular comeback from Argentina as they scored three goals in 13 minutes, with Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez completing the unlikely turnaround.
Egypt protested for a penalty that preceded the third goal, for a foul by Mac Allister, which led to a red card for a coach and a yellow card for their goalkeeper, but it fell on deaf ears.
Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) celebrates scoring his side's first goal against Austria with teammates during the World Cup Group J soccer match in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) celebrates scoring his side's first goal against Austria with teammates during the World Cup Group J soccer match in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Argentina held on, and their 3-2 win sets up a quarter-final against either Switzerland or Colombia on Sunday.
Mac Allister played the full 90 minutes, his fourth of the tournament that also included a 120-minute outing in the round of 32. As per FotMob, he won only four of the 10 duels he contested.
When will Alexis Mac Allister report for Liverpool’s pre-season?
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 24, 2026: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister ties his boot lace before the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 24, 2026: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister ties his boot lace before the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
By securing a spot in the quarter-finals on Sunday, Mac Allister’s return for pre-season has been delayed further, meaning he will miss the entire US tour.
The earliest he could return is the week starting August 3, following a three-week break, but progress to the semi-finals will result in his availability for only the final pre-season friendly against Como on August 16.
This is due to the World Cup also having a bronze final on the weekend of July 18/19, with a place beyond the semi-finals guaranteeing Mac Allister will go the distance in the tournament.
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