The predictions are in!
Lionel Messi has once again reminded the football world why many regard him as the greatest player to ever grace the game. With another masterclass against England, the Argentine captain guided the reigning world champions into the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, producing two assists in a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory that further cemented his legendary status.
The touches…
Messi’s influence was once again decisive. His two assists against England took his tournament tally to four, complementing his eight goals and placing him among the competition’s elite performers. The Inter Miami forward is now the tournament’s joint-leading scorer while ranking second in assists, underlining his remarkable ability to both score and create on football’s biggest stage.
Argentina will now face Spain in Sunday’s final in New Jersey, a fixture loaded with symbolism. It is against the nation where Messi built the foundation of his extraordinary career, spending nearly two decades at Barcelona and becoming one of La Liga’s greatest-ever players.
For Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni, the debate about Messi’s place in football history has long been settled.
“He’s the best player in history. I don’t know what else he would have to do to prove that. The majority of Spaniards love him,” Scaloni said after the match.
Former England defender Micah Richards echoed that sentiment, describing Messi as the difference-maker when it mattered most.
“They have Lionel Messi. They have the GOAT. The greatest of all time,” Richards said. “This is why he is the king.”
Ironically, this was Messi’s first-ever international meeting with England despite a career spanning more than two decades. It is a debut encounter England supporters will not remember fondly.
Although relatively subdued in the opening half, Messi transformed the contest after Anthony Gordon handed England the lead in the 55th minute. As England manager Thomas Tuchel introduced additional defenders and his side retreated into a defensive shell, Argentina seized complete control of the match.
The South Americans dominated possession, controlling an astonishing 88 per cent of the ball during the final stages, with Messi drifting to the right wing where he found space to orchestrate wave after wave of attacks.
“Getting Messi on the wing was the key for us,” goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez said after the victory.
The statistics illustrated the magnitude of his performance. Messi completed nine successful dribbles and provided two assists, becoming the first player since detailed World Cup records began in 1966 to achieve both feats in a single knockout match.
England, by comparison, managed only seven successful dribbles as an entire team.
Messi also recorded seven touches inside England’s penalty area, the same total accumulated collectively by every England player. He created four scoring chances, matching another combined English team statistic and once again demonstrating his unmatched ability to dictate matches.
The victory also propelled Messi to another historic milestone. His latest contributions saw him become the outright highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history with 21 goals for Argentina, surpassing every player to have appeared at the tournament.
Remarkably, 15 of those goals have come since his 35th birthday, a testament to the longevity and sustained brilliance of a player who continues to redefine expectations.
His eight goals at the 2026 tournament have already eclipsed the seven he scored during Argentina’s victorious 2022 World Cup campaign. The tally leaves him level with France captain Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot.
Should the pair finish tied on goals, assists will determine the winner, and Messi currently holds the advantage with four compared to Mbappé’s three. He also remains in contention for the tournament’s top playmaker award, sitting just one assist behind France winger Michael Olise.
As Argentina prepares for another World Cup final, Messi stands on the brink of yet another extraordinary chapter in a career already overflowing with records, trophies and unforgettable moments. Whether he lifts another World Cup or not, his performance against England served as another reminder that true greatness is measured not only by statistics, but by the ability to decide the biggest games when history is watching.
