On July 15, Lionel Messi once again proved his superstar class when creating an explosive moment in the 2026 World Cup semifinal match between Argentina and England at the Atlanta stadium (USA).
In the 35th minute, the Argentina captain received the ball in the opponent’s half and made a dribble that left the “Three Lions” defense in complete disarray. Despite being swarmed by multiple players in white shirts, Messi calmly held on to the ball, continuously changed direction, and then accelerated past Harry Kane, Anthony Gordon, and Djed Spence before forcing Elliot Anderson to commit a foul to stop him.
This situation immediately caused a storm on social media. Many fans spared no words of praise for the performance of the 39-year-old superstar.
One account wrote: “Messi wiped out Kane, Gordon, and Spence in just one play”. Another marvelled: “It is unbelievable with Messi’s stature, he can still shield the ball against four opposing players”. Meanwhile, quite a few fans affirmed: “England’s only task is to stop Messi, but that is almost impossible”.
The solo run surprised many as Messi still maintained respectable speed and burst capability at age 39. Although no longer frequently making sprints like during his peak, the World Cup champion still possesses technical skill, balance, and ball-handling intelligence among the best in the world.
Remarkably, this was also the first time in his international career that Messi faced the England national team. The long-awaited encounter witnessed the familiar mark of Argentina’s number 10 as he continuously caused difficulties for the opposing defense with magical plays.
