Lionel Messi once again proved his class on the world’s biggest football stage. Two assists against the England national team not only brought Argentina to the 2026 World Cup final but also helped him set an unprecedented milestone in the history of the tournament.
Argentina secured a breathtaking 2-1 victory over the England team in the 2026 World Cup semifinals to earn the right to feature in the championship match against Spain. Although he did not score directly, Lionel Messi still became the center of attention by delivering two decisive assists, contributing greatly to La Albiceleste’s comeback and continuing to extend historical milestones in the national team shirt.
According to statistics from Opta, two assists against the England team helped Messi raise his total number of goal-scoring passes at World Cups to 12. Notably, as many as 10 of those came in knockout stage matches. This is an unprecedented achievement since data started being recorded in 1966, as no other player has surpassed 8 assists in World Cup finals tournaments. Messi’s outstanding performance along with his unprecedented record was the biggest highlight following the semifinal match.
Messi sets a crazy assist milestone in the history of World Cup finals. On the pitch, Argentina and England created a tug-of-war match right from the opening minutes. The South American representative controlled more of the ball but ran into a tight defensive system from the “Three Lions”. Messi along with Julian Alvarez continuously troubled the opposing defense, while Enzo Fernandez also had a long-range shot that brushed the crossbar before the first half ended with no goals scored.
After the break, Argentina continued to step up the pressure, but goalkeeper Jordan Pickford produced consecutive saves against finishes from Julian Alvarez and Nicolas Gonzalez. Surprise struck in the 55th minute when Morgan Rogers assisted Anthony Gordon for a neat finish, putting England ahead and pushing Argentina into a situation where they were forced to pour everything into attack.
In the most difficult moment, Messi once again proved his worth. In the 85th minute, the Argentina captain unleashed a favorable pass from outside the penalty area for Enzo Fernandez to control and produce a tricky finish, leveling the score at 1-1. Come the 90+2 minute, the star wearing the number 10 shirt continued with a precise cross for Lautaro Martinez to leap high and head home, completing an emotional 2-1 comeback for coach Lionel Scaloni’s team.
Not only did he make the difference with two assists, Messi also dominated the match with impressive statistics. He touched the ball 94 times, successfully completed 9 out of 11 dribbles, created 4 dangerous chances, and achieved an 80% passing accuracy rate. That comprehensive performance not only took Argentina into the 2026 World Cup final but also helped Messi affirm his status as one of the greatest assisters in the history of the tournament, with a record that no player has come close to so far.
The victory over England brings Argentina into the 2026 World Cup final, where they will face Spain at MetLife Stadium (New Jersey, USA) at 2:00 AM on July 20. This is considered a dream matchup between the two teams with the most impressive form of the tournament, while also being a confrontation between the reigning World Cup champion and the European champion.
With Messi’s brilliant form along with a courageous squad under coach Lionel Scaloni, Argentina stands before the opportunity to successfully defend their world crown against a youthful, high-speed Spain team currently reaching an ideal peak of form.
