Zlatan Ibrahimovic has warned Argentina that Lionel Messi cannot carry the team alone, even as the 39-year-old continues to perform at a level far beyond his teammates. Speaking after Argentina's dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Egypt in the World Cup last 32, Ibrahimovic praised Messi's transformation into an 'animal' but stressed the need for collective effort.
Argentina survive scare against Egypt
Argentina looked destined for an early exit on Tuesday, trailing 2-0 in Atlanta until the 78th minute. A cross from Messi found Cristian Romero, who headed in to reduce the deficit. Messi then equalized in the 83rd minute with a sharp finish, before Enzo Fernandez scored the winner in stoppage time, leaving Messi in tears at the final whistle.
The defending champions now face Switzerland in the quarter-finals on Saturday in Kansas City. Messi leads the World Cup scoring chart with eight goals, ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland on seven.
Ibrahimovic: 'He flipped a switch'
Ibrahimovic, speaking on Fox Sports, said: 'You can see that something changed. He flipped a switch (after 2-0). He became an animal and nobody could stop him. You can see how much it means to him. He may have won everything, however many Ballon d'Or awards there are, but he still wants more.'
However, the Swedish striker added a note of caution: 'To be a little critical, his teammates need to step up more and help. He's on another level. If Messi continues like this until the end, nobody will be surprised. But he needs help.'
Henry: Messi writes history with his feet
Thierry Henry, also part of Fox Sports' coverage, described Messi's performance as cinematic. 'If you write that script, it's the kind of film you think could never be real. The kind where you think the director went too far. But Messi writes like that, this guy writes history with his feet,' Henry said.
Messi's goal against Egypt took his international tally to 125 goals in 204 caps. He has now scored 21 goals in World Cups, extending his lead over Mbappe, who has 19. Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup record of 16 goals has been surpassed by both Messi and Mbappe, with Harry Kane close behind on 14.
Messi: 'This group never gives up'
Reflecting on the victory, Messi said: 'It got tough at 0-2 and it was very exciting to be able to turn it around. It's not easy to come back from 0-2 down, but this group never gives up and tries until the end. What this group did today in this qualifying round is insane.'
Switzerland advanced after a goalless draw with Colombia, winning on penalties. The quarter-final clash in Kansas City will determine who faces the winner of England vs Norway in the semi-finals.
