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2026 World Cup Language 27: Complete the comeback
It’s day 27 of the 2026 World Cup and on today’s World Cup language podcast we look at a phrase from the Argentina versus Egypt last-16 game: Complete the comeback. You can read the transcript for this podcast below, while you can also check out our glossary of footballing phrases here and visit our site to access all our previous posts and podcasts. If you have any suggestions or questions about the phrase or our podcast then you can contact us here.
Hello
DF: Hello again everyone. This is Damian from the Learn English through Football team and I hope you are all doing well and watching, and enjoying, the World Cup. It’s still really hot here in London – what’s the weather where you are?
This is day 27 of our World Cup language series in which we explain a phrase or expression from the World Cup each day. And hopefully you are finding them useful with your language learning.
So, yesterday Damon explained the phrase, ‘dump out of’ after the USA were knocked out of the World Cup by Belgium. The 4-1 victory was an emphatic one and after the scandal around the suspension of the suspension there are many people happy at this thrashing. Now, today I am going to focus on the Egypt versus Argentina game which was a cracker – a fantastic end-to-end game with five goals, lots of controversy and a last-minute winner.
Stinger: You are listening to the Learn English Through Football Podcast.com (in Spanish)
Yes, you are listening to the Learn English through Football podcast, or as we were known before, Languagecaster, and that message was in Spanish.
Complete the comeback
DF: Another amazing game at the 2026 World Cup – this time Argentina beating Egypt in the last 16 thanks to a last-minute winner from Enzo Fernandez. And we are going to look at the phrase, ‘complete the comeback‘ in today’s World Cup Language post.
So, a comeback in football is when one team is losing but then scores goals to go in front of their opponents; they start winning. So, for example, if a team is losing 1-0 but then scores twice we can say that they have made a comeback; they have a comeback win. We also use the phrase, to spark a comeback, which refers to something (usually a goal) that starts the comeback, while the word fightback is also used to describe a comeback.
To complete the comeback means to finish the comeback. Let’s look at that Argentina versus Egypt game as an example. Egypt scored twice – they went two goals up – and with only ten minutes left Argentina looked as if they would be knocked out – or dumped out of – the World Cup. But the holders scored twice in the 79th and 83rd minute of the game to level the tie and it looked as if the game was going to extra time. But then in added time (the 93rd minute), Argentina scored when Fernandez planted a header into the corner of the net after a counter attack and this was the winning goal; a last-gasp winner. So, Argentina completed the comeback in dramatic style – they were two-nil down with only ten minutes left; yet they ran out winners 3-2.
This is what the BBC said about the goal:
Example: Enzo Fernandez completed the comeback two minutes into injury time, heading home Lautaro Martinez’s cross to set up a quarter-final tie against Switzerland (BBC.co.uk)
Stinger: You are listening to the Learn English Through Football Podcast.com (in French)
DF: Yes, you are listening to the Learn English through Football podcast and that was a message from a French speaker. And France take on Morocco in the first of the quarter-finals later on today. The French defeated Morocco at the semi-final stage four years ago and although they are favourites to win this tournament, this will be a very close game indeed. I think France will just about scrape into the semi-final.
Contact
Now don’t forget, if you want to get in contact with us or ask a football-language question then just come along to our site here at learnenglishthroughfootball.com or you can contact us at: contact@learnenglishthroughfootball.com.
Goodbye
DF: Thank you everyone again for listening. On today’s World Cup language show, we looked at the phrase, ‘to complete the comeback‘ after Argentina’s amazing late win against Egypt. Can you think of any other words for this phrase in any language that you know? If so, drop us a line and let us know. We’ll be back soon with some more expressions from the World Cup now that the quarter-final stage ha s started. Until then, bye bye.
Related Links
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- 2026 World Cup Language 26: Dump out of
- 2026 World Cup Language 25: Hold out
- 2026 World Cup Language 24: Stubborn defence
- 2026 World Cup Language 23: Scrape past
- 2026 World Cup Language 22: Breeze past
- 2026 World Cup Language 21: Advance to the last 16
- 2026 World Cup Language 20: Sweep aside
- 2026 World Cup Language 19: Win a penalty shootout
- 2026 World Cup Language 18: Stoppage time
- 2026 World Cup Language 17: See off an opponent
- 2026 World Cup Language 16: To Spill
- 2026 World Cup Language 15: Results go their way
- 2026 World Cup Language 14: Goal difference
- 2026 World Cup Language 13: Ends scoring goal drought
- 2026 World Cup Language 12: Shrug off
- 2026 World Cup Language 11: Thumping strike
- 2026 World Cup Language 10: Statement win
- 2026 World Cup Language 9: One-way traffic
- 2026 World Cup Language 8: Gift
- 2026 World Cup Language 7: Re-taken penalty
- 2026 World Cup Language 6: A stunner
- 2026 World Cup Language 5: Hold to a draw
- 2026 World Cup language 4: Run riot
- 2026 World Cup Language 3: Lob over the keeper
- 2026 World Cup Language 2: Brace
- 2026 World Cup Language: To be dismissed
- 2026 World Cup in numbers
- 2026 World Cup in numbers (quiz)
- 2026 World Cup favourites, dark horses and flops
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