‘He needs help’ – Ibrahimović asks Argentina players to step up and support Messi

Once again, Lionel Messi demonstrated his legendary status by orchestrating a remarkable 3-2 comeback for Argentina in the World Cup round of 16 against Egypt.

Trailing 2-0 in Atlanta, Messi ignited the revival by assisting Cristian Romero's goal before scoring the equaliser himself.

His efforts paved the way for Enzo Fernandez to net a dramatic stoppage-time winner, a performance that left Ibrahimovic, his former Barcelona teammate, in awe.

The Swedish icon praised the Inter Miami star's "animal" mentality during a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over Egypt, but insisted that Messi's teammates must step up to share the load.

Speaking on Fox Sports, Ibrahimovic observed a shift in Messi's attitude as Argentina faced elimination. "You can see that something changed. He flipped a switch (after 2-0). He became an animal and nobody could stop him," he said. 

"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."

Despite the emotional celebrations that saw a tearful Messi embraced by his squad, Ibrahimovic offered a critical assessment of the rest of the team. 

The Swedish legend argued that the defending champions are overly reliant on their 39-year-old captain, who is currently outperforming every other player in the tournament. 

Ibrahimovic stressed that the Albiceleste cannot expect Messi to rescue them in every knockout match. 

"To be a little critical, his teammates need to step up more and help," he added. "He’s on another level. If Messi continues like this until the end, nobody will be surprised. But he needs help."

Argentina will now face Switzerland in a quarter-final showdown in Kansas City this Saturday. 

The Swiss advanced after a tense penalty shootout victory against Colombia and will be the next obstacle for Lionel Scaloni's side in their title defence.