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When FIFA rescinded USA forward Folarin Balogun’s one-match suspension — he received a controversial red card in the World Cup round of 32 win vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina — a secondary storyline took center stage over the round of 16 knockout stage match between the U.S. and Belgium. Instead of missing the next match, Balogun was cleared to play, Belgium was livid and appealed, and the timing of the reversal was heavily criticized. 

Belgium coach Rudi García, though, let Balogun know that he doesn’t blame him for the significant controversy surrounding the lifting of the suspension, before and during the match between the two in the round of 16 on Monday. Ultimately, Belgium comfortably beat the U.S., 4-1, to advance to the quarterfinals.

After the match, García said Balogun approached him, and they spoke briefly. García praised Balogun for the classy way he handled the situation. 

Through a translator in his post-match press conference, García said: “[Balogun] came to talk to me. I really liked that. It is not his fault. He is not the one to blame. That’s what I told him. I really appreciate the intention that he came to see me. I appreciate this player.”

The pair were seen speaking after the match, with García even putting his hands around Balogun’s face and speaking closely, as he let him know that the forward was blameless in this.

Balogun started for the U.S. in what ended up being an ugly defeat against Belgium, in a game where Belgium’s players felt it was their responsibility to mete out justice for the red-card suspension being lifted by FIFA.

As our Doug McIntyre and Melissa Ortiz explained, when the suspension was first lifted, the USA could not appeal Balogun’s red card. But in reversing course, FIFA cited Article 27 of its disciplinary code to allow for the suspension to be overturned and for Balogun to be put on red-card probation, instead. As the code details:

“If the person benefiting from a suspended sanction commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked by the judicial body and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”

Balogun led the United States in goals with three during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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Unless the USMNT made an improbable run to the title, the public betting masses were bound to get beat by the bookmakers at some point.

That point was Monday night in Seattle. 

The USA tumbled to Belgium 4-1, bowing out in the Round of 16 and falling off the World Cup oddsboard.

“It was a bad result for the U.S. but a good result for the book, which was always to be expected when/if they lost. It was one of the biggest wins we’ve had for a soccer game in company history,” BetMGM trading manager Adair Horne said.

Oddsmakers help recap the USA-Belgium match and the Americans’ World Cup run over the past month.

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

Public Flogging

Throughout the tournament’s group and knockout stages, betting support on the USA flooded in, setting soccer records at Caesars Sports with each subsequent match. Prior to Monday night — except for the Türkiye match — bettors were rewarded, as bookmakers took a bath.

For USA-Belgium, Caesars reported a record number of unique customers wagering. So a Stars & Stripes victory would’ve been a banner night for the betting masses once again.

Instead, Caesars — and sportsbooks across the nation, for that matter — clawed back a big chunk of change.

“It was a better night for the book,” Caesars Sports head of soccer trading Mark Bickerdike said. “Our customers were keen to see the USA progress to the quarterfinals, with 81% of money backing them in the To Qualify market and 78% of handle on the Match Betting market.”

A couple of hours before kickoff, a high-roller dropped into Circa Las Vegas on downtown Fremont Street, ready to put full faith and credit in the Red, White & Blue. The bettor wagered a massive $750,000 on USA -130 to advance.

That ticket and countless others went into Circa Sports’ coffers.

USA supporters were all over player prop bets, as well, particularly on goal-scoring star Folarin Balogun, in the wake of his red-card suspension being lifted. 

Alas, Balogun got only one good scoring opportunity and failed to find the net.

“Given the attention surrounding Balogun, he was an extremely popular selection in both straight wagers and same-game parlays,” Bickerdike said, before pointing to one market where the masses succeeded. “There were still some happy customers, as 97.6% of our Both Teams To Score handle was on Yes, which landed after just 31 minutes.”

Indeed, after Belgium’s Charles De Ketelaere opened the scoring in the ninth minute, Malik Tillman drilled in a free kick in the 31st minute to tie it at 1. But that success was short-lived, as less than two minutes later, De Ketelaere’s header put Belgium up for good.

Futures Fallout

Along with betting on the Americans at historic rates in each match, the public betting masses fired away on a U.S. championship in World Cup futures odds. So Monday night’s setback provided a second boon for sportsbooks, as all those futures tickets went begging.

In fact, Caesars Sports couldn’t have asked for a better Monday, with the U.S. dropping out right after Portugal did in a 1-0 loss to Spain.

“Our Tournament Winner book is in a strong position,” Bickerdike said. “The USA was by far our biggest outright liability, while Portugal ranked second. So seeing both eliminated on the same day was significant.

“France has been a popular selection in recent weeks, following a series of impressive performances, and now represents our biggest remaining concern in the outright market.”

What’s Next

Now, though, the question is whether bettors’ interest substantially wanes, since the USA was a huge driver of wagering activity.

“Overall, it was an exciting run for the USA, with unprecedented interest from bettors not only in USMNT games but in the entire World Cup itself,” BetMGM’s Horne said. “Even though the USA is eliminated, we hope that the interest will continue for the rest of the World Cup.”

Bickerdike is optimistic, with huge quarterfinal matchups looming: Spain vs. Belgium, England vs. Norway and France vs. Morocco. 

“With many more elite matchups still to come, we wouldn’t be surprised to see more soccer wagering records challenged at Caesars,” Bickerdike said.

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The last traditional intermediate race (Chicagoland) of the regular season saw a first-time 2026 winner in Chase Briscoe.

That wasn’t a surprise, as Briscoe has been fast in his few years at Joe Gibbs Racing, and he was coming off a second-place finish at Sonoma.

So Briscoe continues to move up these rankings as NASCAR heads to the drafting-style Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend.

Here are my rankings:

Dropped out: Ryan Preece (Last Week: 10), Carson Hocevar (Last Week: 9), Chris Buescher (Last Week: 8)

On the verge: Chris Buescher, Chase Elliott, Riley Herbst, Carson Hocevar, Ryan Preece, Daniel Suárez

10.

Bowman followed up a 10th-place finish at Sonoma with a fifth at Chicagoland. For him and the season he has had, that’s a solid top-10 streak.

9.

Wallace placed sixth at Chicagoland for his third top-six finish in the last five races. He’s now 13th in the driver standings.

8.

Byron swept the stages and finished fourth, as he led a race-high 94 laps at Chicagoland. More performances like that and he will win. And soon.

7.

His radiator getting punctured resulted in a lengthy garage stay, and he ended up finishing 30 laps down. Reddick is fine to make the playoffs but he needs to get some momentum back over the next few weeks.

6.

Gibbs finished eighth at Chicagoland on a day when he was very good but not great. He’s fourth in the series standings.

5.

Blaney placed seventh at Chicagoland and he sits third in the series standings. As mentioned here before, he’s doing his best with what he has. He was the only Ford in the top 10.

4.

Larson spun and finished a couple laps down, a frustrating result considering he had speed to potentially challenge for the win. 

3.

Bell couldn’t catch his teammate Briscoe during the race and finished second. It was his third runner-up finish of the year. Is a win around the corner?

2.

With a second and a win in his last two races, Briscoe is one of the hottest drivers on the circuit. But can he maintain it?

1.

Hamlin appeared as if he would challenge for the win but wound up third at Chicagoland. He now leads the series standings by 44 points over Reddick.

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The comeback is complete. After going down 2-0 in the 67th minute, Argentina roared back to secure a 3-2 win over Egypt in the round of 16 on Tuesday at Atlanta Stadium.

Center back Cristian Romero got the comeback started for Argentina with a goal in the 79th minute, powering in a header off a pass from Lionel Messi to make the score 2-1.

Then, five minutes later, in the 83rd minute, Messi leveled the score at 2-2. Argentina had multiple players near the net, and the ball found Messi, who scored his record-extending 21st career World Cup goal.

Argentina completed the comeback in the second minute of stoppage time in the second half when Enzo Fernández sent home a header on the right side of the net off an assist from Lisandro Martínez. Argentina scored three goals in 14 minutes to take the lead.

Argentina now moves on to play the winner of Colombia vs. Switzerland in the World Cup quarterfinals.

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With no cautions during the 90 laps at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, drivers didn’t have many chances to make a pass unless they truly were better than the car in front of them.

So depending on their qualifying result and their pit strategy, that pretty much determined where a driver would finish. Christian Lundgaard and Pato O’Ward started 1-2 and finished 1-2 except flipped with O’Ward winning.

That vaulted O’Ward in these rankings. The series has the weekend off before racing July 19 on the Nashville Sueprspeedway concrete oval.

Here are my rankings coming out of Mid-Ohio:

Dropped out: Graham Rahal (Last Week: 10), Marcus Armstrong (Last Week: 9)

On the verge: Armstrong, Scott Dixon, Rahal

10.

McLaughlin had a crummy weekend as he started 23rd because of a six-spot penalty for an engine change and finished 16th, which is considered a respectable result considering where he started. He is ninth in the season standings.

9.

Rosenqvist started 13th and finished 13th on his second weekend with a team he knows he won’t return to next year. He is seventh in the standings.

8.

Will Power followed his third at Road America with a sixth at Mid-Ohio for back-to-back top-10 finishes. He has led laps in six of the 11 races this year.

7.

What a great drive for VeeKay at Mid-Ohio as he started sixth and finished fourth. It was his second fourth-place finish in the last three races and his third top-six in his last five.

6.

Newgarden gutted out a ninth-place finish despite still being on crutches and not being able to put weight on his left foot. He’s sixth in the series standings.

5.

Chef Dave had a mid weekend at Mid-Ohio as he started fourth and finished eighth, partially the result of him stalling exiting pit road after one of his pit stops. He dropped to fourth in the standings.

4.

Kirkwood earned his first podium since a second-place run at Detroit as he crossed the line at Mid-Ohio in third. He moved up to second in the series standings.

3.

O’Ward had not been on the podium since he won at Toronto last year, so he really needed the victory at Mid-Ohio. So he jumps in these rankings as it should give him a little extra confidence.

2.

Lundgaard, now a free agent, drove a solid race in finishing second to O’Ward, who appeared clearly a bit stronger at Mid-Ohio. Lundgaard remains third in the standings. It was Lundgaard’s fifth podium of the season.

1.

Palou started eighth and finished fifth, a serviceable result when you’re the points leader but don’t have a dominant car for the race. When you finish fifth on a bad day, that’s a good thing.

WHAT YOU SHOULD READ NEXT

Arrow McLaren is overhauling its 2027 full-time INDYCAR driver lineup, with a pair of Indy 500 winners set to join mainstay Pato O’Ward.

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With 95 of the record 104 matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup now complete, there has been no shortage of memorable matches at the tournament – and the best is still yet to come in the final eight matches.

But before the tournament turns into a showdown of the world’s soccer giants in the quarterfinals, let’s take a look back at the five best matches of the tournament so far, from the group stage to the round of 16:

5.   Portugal 2, Croatia 1

There was high drama in Toronto, where one of two legends was going to see his World Cup career end. Former Real Madrid teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić faced off in a tense matchup that had a thrilling second half.

Croatia opened the scoring through veteran Ivan Perišić, and it looked like the small nation was going to pull off another upset. Fifteen minutes later, though, Ronaldo stepped up to score his first-ever goal in the World Cup knockout stage with a penalty kick.

Ronaldo was taken out in the 81st minute, and then his replacement Gonçalo Ramos stepped forward. The Portugal striker beat three Croatian defenders to head home a stoppage-time winner, and then Croatia had a potential equalizer ruled out after a lengthy VAR review.

4.   Austria 3, Algeria 3

A draw from this game meant both teams would advance from Group J. It was the final window of group-stage games, and it sure delivered.

The match was already 2-2 with Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez finding himself through on goal in the 93rd minute. The former Manchester City star called the situation “awkward,” but he did what his instincts told him to, which was to score. 

Riyad Mahrez celebrates his late goal against Austria. (Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Both teams’ benches went back and forth before Sasa Kalajdzic tied the game again in the 96th minute. It was a situation that could only be seen at the World Cup. Ultimately, both teams were through and happy, but they made sure it was as difficult and dramatic as possible.

Switzerland vs Algeria Extended Highlights 2026 FIFA World Cup™ | Round of 32

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3.   Argentina 3, Egypt 2

The first of two Argentina matches on the list (spoiler), the reigning champions were in trouble late before getting going against Egypt in the round of 16.

For the first 75 minutes of this matchup, Egypt looked like the better team. Center back Yasser Ibrahim scored off a set piece in the 15th minute before Lionel Messi missed a penalty six minutes later. Mostafa Ziko had a goal chalked off after a VAR review in the 58th minute, but he scored again nine minutes later to double the Pharaohs’ lead.

Then, Argentina got going.

Messi became the all-time leader in assists at the World Cup when his cross was headed home by center back Cristian Romero. Four minutes later, the star man himself made it 2-2 with a thunderous strike.

The match-winner came in the 92nd minute, when midfielder Enzo Fernández met Lautaro Martinez’s cross brilliantly. The Chelsea man had momentum going away from the goal but got enough power on a header that was put perfectly in the far corner.

UNREAL COMEBACK Messi & Argentina Score THREE Second-Half Goals to Defeat Egypt

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2.   England 3, Mexico 2

England vs. Mexico in Mexico City is a matchup and venue that only the World Cup could give us – and boy, did it deliver.

Mexico vs England Extended Highlights 2026 FIFA World Cup™ | Round of 16

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The atmosphere was electric before the match, with songs from England being roundly booed by the Mexican fans at the Azteca. You could tell supporters of El Tri were ready for an epic evening.

Playing at higher than 7,000 feet of altitude for the first time, England was not intimidated. Jude Bellingham opened the scoring with a header and then added a second two minutes later. Julián Quiñones got one back for Mexico before halftime.

Jude Bellingham delivered a star-making performance against Mexico. (Julian Finney – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

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In the second half, England defender Jarell Quansah was sent off for a high tackle. Six minutes later, though, Harry Kane buried a penalty kick to double England’s lead. Raúl Jiménez scored a penalty of his own in the 69th minute, and then the pressure was on.

England, down to 10 men, defended like heroes for the final 20 minutes plus stoppage time, clearing every cross that Mexico sent in the box and doing all it could to maintain its lead.

Ultimately, an incredible night in the Mexican capital for England supporters ended with the Three Lions serenading them with the Oasis hit, “Wonderwall.”

1.   Argentina 3, Cape Verde 2

A match no one will ever forget.

Cape Verde was a fun story in the group stage, starting its tournament with a 0-0 draw against Spain before drawing two more games against Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. That was enough for second place in Group H, which set up a matchup with the reigning world champions.

Few gave Cape Verde much of a chance. It would have been the biggest upset in the World Cup knockout stages according to FIFA’s World Rankings, which were introduced before the 1994 tournament. 

Argentina vs Cape Verde Extended Highlights 2026 FIFA World Cup™ | Round of 32

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Early on, it did not look like an upset was on the cards. Lionel Messi scored his seventh goal in four games in the 29th minute, and there was a sense of inevitability to the game.

Cape Verde midfielder Deroy Duarte stunned the stadium, though, when he equalized in the 59th minute. From there, the African island nation held strong to force extra time, but Argentine defender Lisandro Martínez struck in just the second minute of extra time.

From there, we witnessed the best moment of the tournament. In the 103rd minute, Cape Verde winger Sidny Lopes Cabral picked up the ball on the left wing, cut inside on his right foot and delivered a stunning strike that went right in the top corner. Miami Stadium, and the world watching, could not believe what had just happened.

Argentina defender Cristian Romero delivered a header that ultimately deflected off Cape Verde defender Diney Borges for an own goal in the 111th minute that gave Argentina the win.

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Earlier in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Lionel Messi became the FIFA World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer. Now, after Argentina’s remarkable comeback win vs. Egypt in the Round of 16 on Tuesday, he’s also the tournament’s all-time assists leader.

Messi, whose 21 goals are the most by a single player in FIFA World Cup history, notched his ninth career assist at the tournament, giving him the most assists in World Cup history. Another Argentine legend, Diego Maradona, previously held the record with eight assists.

Messi broke the record with his assist in Argentina’s come-from-behind win vs. Egypt in the round of 16 on Tuesday at Atlanta Stadium. Messi found Cristian Romero in the box, and the center back struck it with his head to pull one back for Argentina down 2-0.

Messi further contributed to the cause in the 83rd minute with a goal on a stunning volley from inside the box. It was Messi’s 21st goal of all time and his eighth of the tournamnet, which now makes him the sole leader in the Golden Boot race. Messi was previously tied with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

Argentina completed the comeback in the second minute of stoppage time, when Enzo Fernández sent home a header on the right side of the net off an assist from Lisandro Martínez. Argentina scored three goals in 14 minutes to hand Egypt a shocking defeat.

Argentina will now play the winner of Colombia vs. Switzerland in the quarterfinals.

Argentina vs Egypt Highlights 2026 FIFA World Cup™ | Round of 16

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The good vibes lasted eight minutes for the United States. 

That’s how long it took Charles De Ketelaere to silence the Seattle crowd on Monday night, and Belgium never gave the noise back. A 4-1 dismantling of the USA wasn’t just a round of 16 exit — it also was one of the worst collective performances by a U.S. men’s national team in recent memory, delivered at the exact moment the program could least afford it.

(Photo by Ercin Erturk/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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For a month, this team had unified a country. Sold-out stadiums, “Country Roads” echoing throughout the crowd, a group won with a game to spare, a first knockout victory since 2002. Then FIFA’s disciplinary committee overturned Folarin Balogun’s suspension, and the mood around the world curdled overnight. Suddenly the darlings were the villains.

Belgium noticed. 

The Red Devils spent the buildup insisting they weren’t scared of the crowd, the hosts or the circumstances. Then they went out and proved it. Let’s be honest about what happened here: While the U.S. committed self-inflicted wounds, Belgium caused many of them with its perfect game plan. 

Manager Rudi Garcia’s side played its most complete game in years — and did it after losing Amadou Onana to a serious knee injury in the 21st minute. Most teams wobble when their midfield anchor leaves on a stretcher’s timeline. Belgium simply plugged in Hans Vanaken, who went on to score the third goal. That’s not luck. That’s a team that knew exactly what it was.

The way Belgium cut through the American press was surgical. Every time the U.S. stepped up, the ball zipped through the lines like the press wasn’t there. Leandro Trossard tormented the left side all night, and both De Ketelaere goals came from crosses the U.S. defended like strangers introduced at kickoff. 

The second was the killer: 61 seconds after Malik Tillman’s free kick had leveled the game, De Ketelaere posterized Tim Ream and headed Belgium back in front. Beaten in the air, slow to react, frozen in the moment. The first half told the whole story when Belgium outshot the U.S., 11-2.

And remember, nobody was talking about this Belgium team pre-tournament. The golden generation is either gone or in their twilight. It couldn’t beat Egypt in the group. It couldn’t beat Iran. It trailed Senegal 2-0 late in the round of 32 and needed a frantic comeback just to survive. 

There were rumors of infighting. The No. 9 FIFA ranking felt like a relic. Then Garcia’s team produced this — ruthless, cohesive, cold-blooded — and suddenly a quarterfinal against Spain doesn’t look like a complete mismatch.

For the U.S., the occasion was simply too big. You could see it in the nervous first touches, the panicked clearances, the decision-making of a team playing the only top-10 opponent it faced all tournament. 

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And then came the moment that will live in infamy: Matt Freese wandered out of his area, trapped a long ball, hesitated, accidentally kicked the grass and coughed it up to Vanaken, who calmly finished from 30 yards into a net the last defender, Tim Ream, couldn’t reach. It’s the kind of mistake you barely even see on a JV soccer pitch, let alone in a World Cup knockout game on home soil. Romelu Lukaku’s stoppage-time fourth, off yet another giveaway, was just cruelty for the highlight reel.

Mauricio Pochettino spent the weekend reminding everyone he’s only “a small part” of this operation. Convenient timing. His most talented American squad ever went out in the round of 16, same as everybody else this century. The U.S. will spend four years having nightmares about this one. 

But Belgium? It’ll spend Friday in Los Angeles, facing Spain, playing with house money as a written-off team that walked into the loudest building in America and turned the volume all the way down. 

Overturn that. 

United States vs Belgium Highlights 2026 FIFA World Cup™ | Round of 16

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For 79 minutes, the champions were dead.

Argentina trailed Egypt, 2-0, in Atlanta, Lionel Messi had a penalty saved, and the Pharaohs were countering like a team with zero interest in a moral victory. They just had to hang on in the 2026 World Cup round of 16 matchup and keep the defending champs at bay.

Then came three goals in 14 minutes, resulting in a 3-2 final and rescuing an Argentina quarterfinal berth from the jaws of defeat.

Here are my four takeaways from a game that took years off Argentine lives:

1. Argentina Can Win Ugly. That’s What Champions Do.

(Photo by Marcel Bonte/Soccrates/Getty Images) –>

Let’s not sugarcoat it: Argentina has been suffering. It needed 120 minutes and an own goal to survive Cape Verde. Against Egypt, it was down by two, heavily favored in both games and staring at the exit. It also caught a break — Mostafa Zico had an earlier goal chalked off when VAR found a Marawan Attia foul on Lisandro Martínez a full pitch away from the finish. Even the FOX broadcast squirmed at that one.

But here’s the thing about serial winners: They don’t need to be brilliant, they need to be alive at the final whistle. Cristian Romero headed in a Messi cross. Messi equalized. Enzo Fernández buried the winner off a Lautaro Martínez cross, from a counter that started after Mohamed Salah was dispossessed at the edge of Argentina’s penalty box. From 2-0 down to 3-2 up in a flash. Pretty? No. The mark of a champion? Absolutely.

2. Messi Missed A Penalty. Then He Reminded Everyone Who He Is.

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The penalty miss should have been the story. Mostafa Shobeir dove to his right and stuffed Messi’s spot kick before the first hydration break — his second failed penalty of the tournament (the first player to ever miss two penalties in a single World Cup) after the miss against Austria. A 39-year-old carrying a nation, denied again. You’d forgive him for shrinking.

Instead, he curled the cross that Romero converted, then arrived in the 83rd minute to score the equalizer himself — his eighth goal of the World Cup, now all alone at the top of the Golden Boot race ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. 

He has scored in every single game Argentina has played this tournament. He broke the all-time World Cup assists record. The man rewrites the record books on nights when everything works and on nights when nothing does. That second kind might be more impressive.

3. The Pharoahs Leave With Their Heads High — And New Heroes.

What a ride this was for Egypt. Unbeaten in a group that included Belgium, topped Australia on penalties with a Mohamed Salah panenka, and mere minutes from eliminating the world champions. And they did it in the least expected way: with an aging Salah as facilitator and Omar Marmoush — goalless, assist-less and benched Tuesday after a miserable tournament — reduced to a late cameo.

The unheralded names delivered instead. Yasser Ibrahim’s 15th-minute header stunned Atlanta. Haissem Hassan ran the right flank on the counter, setting up Zico’s goal after a Salah surge. And Shobeir was magnificent — the penalty save, plus stops on Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister and Julián Álvarez. Egypt were brilliant on the break. They just ran into the defending champions. It happens. 

4. Now, The Uncomfortable Question: What’s Wrong With Argentina?

(Photo by Patrick Smith – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images) –>

Because something is wrong. The legs looked heavy — understandable after 120 minutes in the Miami furnace against Cape Verde, where Lionel Scaloni described his cramping team as “defending like a cornered cat.” The defense is shakier still. Four goals conceded in two knockout games, Ibrahim rising unmarked, and Argentina caught up-field on transition over and over. Egypt’s disallowed goal and Zico’s finish came from nearly identical counters. Good teams notice patterns like that. Spain-level teams will make them pay.

And the dependency problem persists: Messi has eight goals; no teammate has been consistently dangerous. Álvarez keeps flickering without igniting. Romero and Fernández stepped up Tuesday — Argentina needs that weekly, not annually. Champions can win ugly. They can’t keep needing miracles.

Argentina vs Egypt Highlights 2026 FIFA World Cup™ | Round of 16

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Check out the full game highlights between Argentina and Egypt in the 2026 FIFA World Cup™. Announced by Derek Rae and Rob Green.

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The Atlanta Falcons might finally be off the hook as the holders of arguably the greatest single-game collapse in sports history, and Tom Brady might agree with that sentiment. 

Argentina appeared dead to rights in its World Cup round-of-16 match against Egypt on Tuesday, going down 2-0 in the 67th minute, putting its hopes of repeating as World Cup champs in jeopardy. But then, in the 79th minute, Argentina flipped the script. Argentina scored three unanswered goals, including one from Lionel Messi and one in stoppage time, to win 3-2. 

As Argentina put the finishing touches on its win, Brady couldn’t help but tip his cap to Messi’s squad. 

“Yeah so that might top 28-3,” Brady wrote with a mind-blown emoji in a post on X. 

If Argentina’s win did top the New England Patriots’ 28-3 comeback victory over the Falcons in Super Bowl LI, then the setting might not have been any more appropriate. Messi and Argentina pulled off the comeback at Atlanta Stadium, which is the home of the Falcons. 

As for the debate of whether Argentina’s comeback was greater than the comeback the Patriots had in Super Bowl LI, there are many ways you can slice it. However, the Patriots were able to cut into the Falcons’ 28-3 lead prior to the start of the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI. Argentina, on the other hand, didn’t score until after the second hydration break, which is now considered by some as the start of the fourth quarter of soccer matches.

And another thing that could help Argentina’s case for being the holders of the superior comeback was that it didn’t need any extra time to seal its victory. Enzo Fernández scored two minutes into stoppage time, ensuring that Tuesday’s match wouldn’t go into extra time. The Patriots, meanwhile, didn’t tie the game against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI until the final minute before winning in overtime. 

Brady wasn’t the only sports star who reacted to Argentina’s epic comeback. Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Brunson and others were among those who shared their amazement with what happened on Tuesday afternoon in Atlanta. 

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