(CNN) – Egypt national team goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir revealed the backstory of the seconds before the penalty save against Argentine star Lionel Messi in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, describing him as a "legend" and "the best in history."

In an interview on the program "Al-Hekaya" on MBC Masr with journalist Amr Adib, Shobeir said when asked about the moments before the penalty and his save: "It's luck, first and last, and not skill at all."

The goalkeeper, who excelled with the Egyptian national team, added: "Four penalty kicks were taken against me against Australia, but I saved one from Iran and one from Messi."

Shobeir confirmed that he studied Messi's stance and penalty technique, noting that the Argentine captain changed his execution style and did not wait for the goalkeeper's movement, reaching a point of no return while shooting, so Shobeir read the angle at that moment and successfully chose it.

The Egyptian goalkeeper confirmed that he "didn't think about anything" before the penalty, pointing out that the pressure in penalties is usually on the player, and stated that if he had thought that Messi was the one taking the kick, he might not have rushed towards the ball quickly enough, describing him as a "legend" and "the best in history."