Lionel Messi provided 2 assists as Argentina came from behind to defeat England 2-1 in the semi-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Atlanta.

It was a fiesty affair with tackles, fouls and dark arts reigning supreme. The two teams were breaking play, testing the rules of the game and the capacity of the officials. The first have was cagey with their xGs as low as 0.03.

In the second half, Anthony Gordon put the Three Lions ahead in the 55th minute, turning a cross from Morgan Rogers from the right side. Rogers was preferred to the Arsenal duo of Madueke and Saka. He rewarded the manager with an assist.

Four minutes after the goal, a tackle from Djed Spence ensured Simeone couldn’t get a shot at goal. England retreated. Argentina advanced, changed strategy and increased the tempo.

Messi-god-mode was activated, he wanted the ball more than any other person on the pitch. He kept sending in those crosses from the right with his left foot, causing problems for the English defenders.

The equalizer came with 5 minutes of regulation time to play. Messi’s short corner returned to him, he found Enzo Fernandez who sent the ball pass Pickford in goal. England were shattered. They seem to have solidified their back 4, bringing on Dan Burn & Oreilly. Two minutes into added time, Lauturo Martinez sent in the winner, heading home a right foot cross from Messi.

When the chips are down, the Argentines look up to Lionel Messi, their saviour and talisman. And he delivers. England rallied but it was too late. Argentina played with purpose and without fear. 14 shots, 64% ball possession and 93% pass accuracy.

It was like a replay of the 1986 world cup match. Tuchel would ponder about the changes he made within the game. It is not just an African thing. They would take solace with an opportunity to finish 3rd best.

For now, Argentina would rejoice – back to back World Cup finals. Will Spain stop them from a back-to-back World Cup?