Argentina’s ahead #10 Lionel Messi celebrates his workforce’s second objective scored by Argentina’s ahead #22 Lautaro Martinez (out of body) in the course of the 2026 World Cup soccer match semi-final match between England and Argentina on the Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta on July 15, 2026. — AFPÂ
ATLANTA: Lionel Messi has already gained the World Cup, however the Argentina captain added one other chapter to his astonishing profession on Wednesday, inspiring his workforce to victory of their semi-final in opposition to England.
The defending champions had been up in opposition to it, trailing to Anthony Gordon’s objective till the eighty fifth minute in Atlanta earlier than Messi labored his magic.
This time the match’s all-time main marksman didn’t rating. However he teed up Enzo Fernandez for the equaliser and delivered the cross for Lautaro Martinez to go within the winner, sealing a 2-1 victory.
“These are special feelings. I think the squad could feel it and this was a game the Argentine people really wanted to win, and so did we,” Messi, 39, mentioned after dealing with England for the primary time in his profession.
“This is still a special fixture.”
He was not fairly capable of emulate Diego Maradona, who scored two iconic objectives in Argentina’s 1986 World Cup quarter-final win over England.
However he’ll accept the 2 assists, and he has already emulated his legendary predecessor by successful the trophy 4 years in the past in Qatar.
Now, after Argentina maintained their unimaginable document of by no means having misplaced a World Cup semi-final, Messi will seem in a second straight remaining, and a 3rd total.
The South Individuals are aiming to turn into the primary workforce to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962, and Messi, the only real survivor from the aspect that misplaced to Germany in 2014, will turn into simply the second participant after Brazilian nice Cafu to look in three finals.
“It is crazy to be playing in back-to-back finals,” he mentioned.
Argentina had already staged a surprising late comeback to beat Egypt 3-2 in the identical Atlanta stadium within the final 16, and so they smelled blood as England sat deeper and deeper after going forward.
“Once again we managed to do the job when things were looking bad. We never stopped believing,” mentioned Messi, who has now performed a document 33 World Cup video games throughout six totally different tournaments.
For lengthy spells on Wednesday his affect was restricted, however that has typically been the best way with Messi and he was nonetheless capable of drag his workforce to victory.
“I felt like for large parts of the game, we dealt with him really well. But as always with the most dangerous players in the world, when they have the ball in the final third, they can create something,” mentioned England captain Harry Kane.
“He’s done that again today. He’s obviously one of the best players ever for a reason.”
Spanish reunion
Messi is arguably the best of all, and there might now not be an argument if Argentina efficiently defend their title in Sunday’s remaining in opposition to Spain.
Argentina’s ahead #10 Lionel Messi celebrates after successful the 2026 World Cup soccer match semi-final match between England and Argentina on the Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta on July 15, 2026. — AFPÂ
Pele and Maradona solely performed in two World Cup finals whereas Maradona gained the trophy simply as soon as.
Messi can be the all-time prime scorer in World Cup historical past with 21 objectives, though Kylian Mbappe is only one behind and performs Saturday in opposition to England within the third-place play-off.
He may simply have bowed out of worldwide soccer after 2022, when Argentina defeated France within the remaining.
However he seems to have been saving himself for this World Cup lately, eradicating himself from the depth of European soccer and acclimatising to American situations with Inter Miami.
Whereas Cristiano Ronaldo’s ongoing presence within the Portugal workforce might have held them again, Messi stays virtually as influential as ever.
“He is just the leader and key player in any team in which he plays,” mentioned England coach Thomas Tuchel.
Now he will get his likelihood to play Spain in a aggressive recreation for the primary time, and the identification of the opposition makes the event much more particular.
Messi moved to Barcelona along with his household on the age of 13 and stayed for twenty years, earlier than leaving in 2021 for Paris Saint-Germain.
He has a Spanish passport and should someday calm down once more in Castelldefels, simply down the coast from Barcelona.
However earlier than Messi thinks about that, he desires to douse Spain’s goals.
