Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates are one win away from a FIFA World Cup repeat.
The 39-year-old Argentine soccer superstar helped his team seal a dramatic semifinal comeback against England at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wednesday with two goals in the closing minutes to clinch a 2-1 win and book a final clash with Spain on Sunday.
The reigning world champions, who won their third title in Qatar four years ago, looked set to be eliminated with England leading well into the dying stages following a second-half goal from Anthony Gordon.
But as so often in this tournament, Argentina responded and Enzo Fernández leveled the score with a stunning shot from 20 yards in the 85th minute.
Messi, who assisted the first goal, again played supplier for the second. His cross to the far post was met by substitute Lautaro Martínez, who headed the winning goal into the net from close range in the second minute of stoppage time.
“We are coming from being the best during these last four years like it or not and say what they want,” Messi said after the game. “Once again we proved it’s no fluke and nobody handed us anything. Reaching two consecutive World Cup finals is not for everyone and this group did it.”
Messi now has 10 assists in the World Cup knockout stage, six more than any other player in at least the past 60 years. And he has recorded a goal or assist in 11 straight World Cup games dating to 2022, extending the longest such streak since at least 1966.
The one to Martínez, though, could be the most important of his World Cup career should Argentina go on to lift the trophy again.
“This is incredible, it’s truly incredible,” Martínez said. “I dreamed it, I swear. I told Alexis [Mac Allister] I was going to score a goal; I told Facu Medina that I was going to come on and win the match.
“We stretched the team and went all-in. We got the goals in the end, and after 3½ years, we’re back in a World Cup final.”
England’s failure to hold onto their lead means the 1966 world champions’ wait for a second World Cup final appearance continues.
“We’re disappointed, we were so close, but we got too passive after we scored and conceded a lot of chances,” England coach Thomas Tuchel told the BBC. “We could not turn the ball possession around and then conceded so many crosses, chances and shots. We were close but couldn’t keep the level up after we scored.”
Argentina’s clash with Spain in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will be the first World Cup final between the reigning champions of Europe and South America, and the first time the two top teams in the FIFA rankings have contested the final since rankings were introduced in 1992.
It will be Argentina’s seventh World Cup final as they seek their fourth title and to join Italy (1934, 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962) as only the third country to win back-to-back finals.
England will be left to face France in Saturday’s third-place game in Miami Gardens, Florida.