Former Brazil great Rivaldo set aside his country's fierce football rivalry with Argentina to praise Lionel Messi's standout performance against Egypt.
Rivaldo also congratulated Argentina on reaching the quarterfinals of the World Cup after Tuesday's epic 3-2 comeback against Egypt.
"What grit, what a will to win, what a fight, and what dedication from everyone! That's exactly what fans hope to see on the field during a World Cup," the 2002 World Cup winner and Ballon d'Or recipient wrote on Instagram.
Rivaldo accompanied his message with a photograph of Messi seen crying on the pitch after the final whistle on Tuesday. Messi, who had a first-half penalty saved by Mostafa Shobeir, again came to the rescue for Argentina.
Trailing 2-0, the Argentina captain provided an assist for Cristian Romero to score in the 79th minute and he then got the equaliser four minutes later.
It was Messi's eight goal of the tournament and it put him ahead of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot.
"Talking about @leomessi is stating the obvious," Rivaldo wrote. "What a player! At 39, competing in his sixth World Cup, he continues to show the same passion for the Argentina jersey: celebrating, fighting, crying, and, once again, making the difference."
It was Enzo Fernández that headed home Argentina's winner in stoppage time as the defending champions progressed to the last eight of the tournament.
While Brazil are still coming to terms with their early exit from the competition after their 2-1 defeat to Norway in the round-of-16, Rivaldo was keen to give credit where credit is due.
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"I'm Brazilian, I love my country, and I'll always root for our national team," the former Barcelona star wrote. "Rivalry is part of football, but I also know how to recognize and admire a great match and a team that gives it their all on the pitch.
"Games like this elevate the sport of football and are worthy of a World Cup. Congratulations to Argentina on advancing."