Egypt scores and denies Messi penalty in first half against Argentina

CAIRO — Egypt stunned the reigning world champions, Argentina, in a tightly contested friendly at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Tuesday, opening the scoring early before their goalkeeper denied Lionel Messi from the spot. Forward Mohamed Salah found the net in the 12th minute with a low finish from the edge of the box, giving the Egyptian side a 1‑0 lead that they would defend for the remainder of the match.

In the 68th minute, Argentina were awarded a penalty after a handball in the Egyptian area. Messi stepped up, but Egypt’s keeper Ahmed El‑Shenawy dived to his right and parried the shot, preserving the lead. The match ended 1‑0, marking Egypt’s first victory over the South American giants in more than a decade and providing a morale boost ahead of upcoming World Cup qualifiers.