Lionel Messi’s assist masterclass delivered Argentina a spot in the World Cup final without him needing to score a single goal himself. Messi set up both goals in a 2-1 comeback win over England on Wednesday in Atlanta, proving once again that his influence on a match runs far deeper than the scoresheet suggests.
England struck first in the 55th minute, when Anthony Gordon tapped home a Morgan Rogers cross to give the Three Lions the lead. Jordan Pickford turned in a string of key saves to keep that advantage intact deep into the second half, frustrating an Argentina side that controlled the ball but couldn’t find a way through. It looked for long stretches like the English might pull off the upset, until Messi took over in the final 10 minutes.
In the 85th minute, Messi’s assist masterclass produced its first moment of magic. After a corner was only partially cleared, Messi found Enzo Fernández outside the box, and the Chelsea midfielder curled a left-footed strike past Pickford to level the score. It was a goal Fernández had been building toward all tournament, and it came directly off Messi’s vision under pressure.
Seven minutes later, Messi struck again. Alexis Mac Allister’s shot cannoned off the post, and Messi was first to the rebound, driving down the right flank before whipping in a cross that Lautaro Martínez headed home in the 92nd minute. The goal sent the Argentinian bench into delirium and effectively ended England’s World Cup, completing a stunning two-goal turnaround in the final 10 minutes of the match.
Wednesday’s semifinal marked the first time in Messi’s career that he had ever faced the English, a fact that made his two-assist performance land even harder for Argentina fans who had waited years for this exact matchup. At 39 years old, Messi continues to find new ways to author signature World Cup moments, even in matches where his name never appears on the scoresheet.
Argentina advances to Sunday’s World Cup final at MetLife Stadium to face Spain, which beat France 2-0 in the tournament’s other semifinal. A win would give the Argentinians a fourth World Cup title and make Messi just the second man in the modern era to lift back-to-back trophies. For England, the loss ends a run that had raised hopes of a first final appearance since the country’s only title in 1966. For full match statistics and player ratings from the win, CNN’s live coverage of the semifinal captures every key moment, while NBC’s complete match recap has the full breakdown of both goals.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
