Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir made a crucial save by blocking a penalty from Argentina's Lionel Messi during their Round of 16 World Cup match in Atlanta on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
Shobeir anticipated the trajectory correctly, diving to his left and getting both hands to the ball. This marked Messi's second penalty miss of the tournament.
Historic Achievement
With this save, Shobeir became the first African goalkeeper and only the fourth in history to stop two spot kicks during a single World Cup edition.
He had previously saved a penalty against Iran's Mehdi Taremi in the group stage.
Beyond the penalty stop, Shobeir protected Egypt's first-half lead by denying close-range shot attempts from Alexis MacAllister and Julian Alvarez.
The 26-year-old goalkeeper currently plays for Egyptian club Al Ahly, where he has made 63 appearances since 2020.
He has also earned 14 caps for his national team.
Shobeir is the son of Ahmed Shobeir, the former goalkeeper who represented Egypt at the 1990 World Cup and helped secure group-stage draws against the Netherlands and Ireland.
