Argentine legend Lionel Messi has had the opportunity to win his second World Cup title in a row. Although Messi had already won the World Cup, the Argentine captain added another chapter to his impressive career on Wednesday, inspiring the team to victory in the semi-final against England.
The defending champions were trailing after Anthony Gordon's goal until the 85th minute in Atlanta, before Messi demonstrated his skill. This time, the tournament's top scorer did not score himself, but he set up Enzo Fernandez for the equalizer and delivered a cross to Lautaro Martinez, who headed in the winning goal, securing a 2-1 victory.
After the match, Messi, playing against England for the first time in his career, noted: 'These are special feelings. I think the team felt it, and this was a game that the Argentine people really wanted to win, and so did we.' He added: 'It's still a special match.'
Messi could not fully replicate the feat of Diego Maradona, who scored two iconic goals in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England. Nevertheless, he is satisfied with two assists and has already surpassed his legendary predecessor by winning the trophy four years ago in Qatar.
Now, after Argentina maintained its incredible record of no losses in World Cup semi-finals, Messi will advance to his second consecutive final and his third overall. The South American squad aims to become the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962, and Messi, the only player from the team that lost to Germany in 2014, will be the second player after Brazilian giant Cafu, who reached three finals.
He commented on the situation, stating: 'It's crazy to play in two finals in a row.'
Earlier, Argentina had already pulled off an amazing comeback, beating Egypt 3-2 at the same stadium in Atlanta in the Round of 16, and they capitalized on the moment when England started playing more cautiously after taking the lead. Messi, who has now played a record 33 World Cup matches across six different tournaments, said: 'We were able to handle it again when everything looked bad. We never stopped believing.'
For most of the match, his influence was limited, but this often happened with Messi, and he still managed to lead the team to victory. England captain Harry Kane noted: 'I thought we were handling him very well for most of the game. But as always with the most dangerous players in the world, when they get the ball in the final third, they can create something.' He continued: 'Today he did it again. He is obviously one of the greatest players of all time for some reason.'
Messi is considered the greatest player of all time, and the debate about it might end if Argentina successfully defends its title in Sunday's final against Spain. Pelé and Maradona participated in only two World Cup finals, with Maradona winning the trophy only once. Messi is also the all-time top scorer in the World Cup with 21 goals, although Kylian Mbappé trails by only one and plays on Saturday in the third-place playoff against England.
He could easily have retired from international football after 2022, when Argentina beat France in the final. However, it seems he has been conserving himself for this World Cup in recent years, stepping away from the intensity of European football and adapting to the American conditions at Inter Miami. Despite the constant presence of Cristiano Ronaldo in the Portuguese squad potentially holding them back, Messi remains almost as influential as ever. England coach Thomas Tuchel stated: 'He is simply a leader and a key player in any team he plays for.'
Messi moved to Barcelona with his family at the age of 13 and stayed there for two decades before leaving for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021. He holds a Spanish passport, and perhaps one day he will settle again in Castelldefels, near the coast of Barcelona. But before Messi thinks about that, he wants to fulfill Spain's dreams.
Argentine player Lionel Messi, despite his relatively short height of 1.70 meters, is the top scorer in the World Cup. The 39-year-old Argentine footballer, who has achieved almost everything in his brilliant career, will face England for the first time in the semi-finals of this grand tournament on Wednesday.
Messi earned his 200th international cap playing for La Albiceleste in the group stage against Algeria. This small playmaker dreams of leading his country again on the world stage, as his outstanding international career draws to a close. His journey began in 2005 when he was a young player of 18 years old. After joining Barcelona's first team the previous year, Messi played for Argentina when they won the U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands.
Later, José Beckerman gave him a chance to make his mark at the senior international level during a friendly match against Hungary in Budapest in August. He replaced Lisandro López in the 64th minute to play alongside Hernán Crespo. However, just 90 seconds after his debut, the teenager was sent off for a deliberate low tackle, which was an extremely embarrassing start to his iconic international career. Crespo noted at the time: 'An 18-year-old kid debuting for the national team with so many hopes—he shouldn't be punished like that. The referee should have been much more understanding.'
Messi recalls this infamous incident with a smile, as it led to his suspension from a high-profile friendly match against England in Geneva three months later. Since these two strong nations have avoided each other since then, Messi will play against the 'Three Lions' for the first time at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Messi stated after Argentina's victory over Switzerland in Kansas City in the last group round: 'I have played against almost everyone except England, so this is a very special event because they are a major nation, a traditional power.' He added: 'It's always great to test yourself against such a team, especially in the World Cup semi-final.'
The man who inspired Argentina to the World Cup glory in Qatar four years ago now hopes to leave an equally indelible mark on England as his legendary predecessor, Diego Maradona. Any meeting between these two countries inevitably brings back vivid memories of the 1986 quarter-final at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, where Maradona scored the famous 'Hand of God' goal and then bypassed half of the English defense for his second goal, considered one of the greatest World Cup goals of all time.
Although Messi has not scored a similar goal in North America, he enters the semi-finals with more World Cup goals than any other player in sports history. With 21 goals in a record 32 matches in the tournament, the Inter Miami talisman trails French captain Kylian Mbappé by only one goal after the quarter-finals. This experienced playmaker scored in nine consecutive World Cup matches before deciding to act as a creator in the tactical battle against Switzerland, allowing others, notably Julián Álvarez, to take on the main scoring responsibility.
Argentina is just one match away from reaching another World Cup final, aiming to become the first nation to successfully retain the trophy since Brazil's Pelé victory in 1962. This would be their third final in four World Cups, allowing Messi to follow in the legendary footsteps of Brazilian defender Cafu, who participated in three consecutive finals from 1994 to 2002. Even Maradona only appeared in two.
Messi warned: 'Reaching another semi-final is not an ordinary, everyday thing, so it is an achievement we must sincerely appreciate because we don't know if it will ever happen again.' The English team also wants to take advantage of this moment. Midfielder Nico O'Reilly, who is predicted to be a direct rival to Messi if he starts in midfield on Wednesday, told BBC Radio 5 Live: 'This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He is nearing the end of his career, and for me personally, he is the greatest player who has ever stepped onto a football pitch. I absolutely cannot wait for this challenge.'
The publication The Athletic has published an updated ranking of the best footballers for the 2026 World Cup (WC-2026), which will take place in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
According to the updated table, Argentina captain Lionel Messi is in first place. In second place is French forward Kylian Mbappé, and rounding out the top three is English midfielder Jude Bellingham.
According to The Athletic's assessment, the list of the top ten players looks like this: first place is Lionel Messi from Argentina; second is Kylian Mbappé from France; third is Jude Bellingham from England. Following them are Harry Kane (England), Erling Haaland (Norway), Michael Olise (France), Ousmane Dembélé (France), Ashraf Hakimi (Morocco), Vinícius Júnior (Brazil), and Aymeric Laporte (Spain) completes the top ten.
Lionel Messi continues to set World Cup records, demonstrating that his name remains among the greatest footballers even at the age of 39. He played a key role in the match where Argentina defeated Egypt 3-2 in the tournament playoffs.
According to OptaJoe data, in this match, Messi achieved several significant milestones that further set him apart from many outstanding players. The Argentine forward became the first player in World Cup history to score in six consecutive playoff matches, continuing an impressive streak started during Argentina's successful campaign in Qatar in 2022.
Messi extended his record for consecutive goals and became the first player to score in nine consecutive tournament matches. Furthermore, in the 2026 tournament, he significantly advanced World Cup history in terms of assists. His assist against Egypt brought his total assists in the tournament to nine, allowing him to surpass Argentine legend Diego Maradona and become the absolute leader in this statistic since the start of record-keeping.
Messi's impact in the match against Egypt was not limited to creating scoring opportunities. His equalizer increased Messi's total goals in the tournament to 21, thereby strengthening his position in the all-time tournament top scorers list. These figures are astonishing, especially considering that Messi participated in the World Cup for the first time in 2006 and is now playing in its sixth edition.
The encounter with Egypt also brought another historical moment: Messi became the oldest player to score and provide an assist in the same World Cup match. At 39 years old, the Inter Miami forward continues to challenge conventional football timelines, creating moments many expected to see long ago. However, the match also revealed one unusual statistic: Messi became the first player to miss two penalties in a single World Cup tournament, excluding penalty shootouts, after his penalty shot was saved by an Egyptian defender.
