Lionel Messi is thirty-nine years old and he is still doing this to people.
Seven minutes. Two assists. A World Cup semi-final pulled back from the dead. That is what Argentina produced against England on Wednesday, and it is why the defending champions are one win away from history.
England had it. Anthony Gordon’s finish just after the hour mark had the Three Lions 1-0 up in the 55th minute, and for long stretches it looked like the wait since 1966 was finally going to end. It did not.
Messi went to work. First he set up Enzo Fernández, who drilled a shot from 20 yards out in the 85th minute to level the match. Then, deep into stoppage time, Messi’s cross found Lautaro Martínez, who headed the winner home in the second minute of added time. Argentina 2, England 1. Same old story for England. Same old brilliance from Messi.
This is not new territory for either side. Argentina have made a habit of finding a way through this tournament, grinding out extra-time wins over Cape Verde and Switzerland before doing it again here. England, on the other hand, keep arriving at the final hurdle and finding it too high. Croatia ended the dream in extra time back in 2018. France did it via a missed Harry Kane penalty in 2022. Now it is Argentina, and it is the same result. Close, but not close enough.
Messi has been the difference all tournament. He scored a hat-trick against Algeria in the group stage, his first ever at a World Cup, and later broke Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record. Now he is through to a third World Cup final, joining Cafu as the only other player to manage that feat.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni summed up exactly why this Argentina side keeps finding a way. “I think that this team plays the best when we are facing a difficult situation, with adversity,” he said. “We had a challenging game, a challenging situation. There was blood in the water, and we went for it.”
Messi himself was blunt about what his team has proven, tournament after tournament. “We are coming from being the best during these last four years like it or not and say what they want,” he said afterwards.
Sunday now waits. Argentina face Spain in New Jersey for the trophy itself, with the reigning champions chasing something no side has managed since Brazil in 1958 and 1962: back-to-back World Cup titles. For Messi, it is one more chapter in a career that has already given football everything.
For England, it is another walk back to the dressing room wondering what might have been. Sixty years and counting.
“Thirty-nine years old and still the best man in the building when it matters most. Argentina don’t panic anymore, they just wait for Messi!” – 🎙️Jay
📸 Images via Getty Images
