07/07/2026 22:39 - Entretenimiento
On July 7, 2026, Argentina experienced a day of pure adrenaline. The national team defeated Egypt 3-2 at the Atlanta Stadium in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, keeping the entire country on the edge of their seats until the very last minute.
Among the most famous fans celebrating the qualification was Mirtha Legrand, a 90-something legendary television host in Argentina who has been on air for over seven decades. According to the Argentine news outlet TN, the star popularly nicknamed 'La Faraona' (The Pharaoh) due to her longevity and majestic presence, celebrated the triumph and took the opportunity to connect with the national captain's family.
Legrand shared that, immediately after the match ended, she called Celia Messi, mother of the team's captain and biggest star, to congratulate her on her son's performance. Lionel Messi had an intense afternoon: he scored a goal, but also missed a penalty kick that could have changed the course of the game earlier on.
Because the rival was precisely Egypt, social media was flooded with memes linking the television diva to pharaohs and Egyptian culture. Mirtha stated that these memes 'entertain me', taking the public's constant association between her nickname and the African country with total humor and sympathy.
The game was truly heart-stopping. Argentina's goals were scored by Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi, and Enzo Fernández, who found the net in the 92nd minute to secure the victory. For Egypt, Yasser Ibrahim and Ziko narrowed the gap. Despite the loss, Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir was his team's standout player, even saving Messi's penalty kick.
Coach Lionel Scaloni surprised everyone with three changes in the lineup: Nicolás Tagliafico, Leandro Paredes, and Julián Álvarez stepped in to bring freshness to the team. This marked the first official clash between the two national teams since 1928.
With this victory, Argentina secured its spot in the World Cup 2026 quarter-finals and is now preparing to face the winner of the match between Colombia and Switzerland on Saturday, July 11. Let's go Argentina!
Alfredo S. Quiroga
