What did Messi say after the comeback victory against England?

Argentina reached another final after a dramatic victory over England in the 2026 World Cup semi-final. After the match, Lionel Messi called his team's achievement a "true miracle" and did not hide that this victory had special significance for Argentinians.

England was close to victory

England opened the scoring first in the semi-final. Anthony Gordon scored in the 55th minute, bringing Thomas Tuchel's team closer to the final.

But England retreated to defense to maintain their lead. Argentina increased the pressure until the end of the game and began creating consecutive dangerous situations.

In the 85th minute, Enzo Fernández equalized after a pass from Messi. In stoppage time, Messi delivered the ball from the right flank into the penalty area, and Lautaro Martínez headed in the winning goal.

«Every final is unique»

After the match, Messi once again said that it is not easy to describe the feeling of reaching another World Cup final.

«Every final is unique. This is a World Cup final, and each one has special significance. Experiencing these emotions again is incredibly amazing».

Argentina became champions at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Now, Lionel Scaloni's team has the opportunity to defend the title after reaching the final for the second consecutive time.

For Messi, this will be the third World Cup final of his career. He previously participated in the decisive match in 2014 and 2022.

«This team's result is a miracle»

Messi emphasized that the path Argentina traveled was not easy. The team fell into difficult situations several times in the playoffs, but found a way to save the game every time.

«It's hard to imagine reaching a second consecutive World Cup final. The result this team has achieved is a true miracle».

The game against England was a continuation of that character. Argentina was trailing until the 85th minute, but the team did not panic and scored two goals in the final minutes to secure a spot in the final.

As Reuters noted, although Messi did not score against England, he orchestrated both goals. These two assists brought his total number of assists in World Cups to a record 12.

Emotions changed during the anthem

Before the match, Argentina's representatives tried to treat the meeting as a simple semi-final without paying too much attention to the historical rivalry.

However, according to Messi, after the national anthem played, the players felt how much the game meant to the Argentinians.

«Even though we said it was just a football match, we felt completely different emotions when the national anthem played».

Nevertheless, the Argentine players did not forget that emotions should not interfere with tactical discipline.

«No one wanted to lose to England»

Matches between England and Argentina have always been more than just a simple football game. Messi also openly said that the team and fans did not want to lose to this opponent.

«No one on the team wanted to lose, and the people of Argentina also wanted this victory very much. No one wanted to lose to England».

Argentine fans made up the majority at the stadium in Atlanta. According to Reuters, their support further intensified the team's pressure in the final minutes.

Now Spain is waiting

Argentina will face Spain in the final. Spain reached the decisive match after defeating France 2:0 in the first semi-final.

Two different styles will face each other in the final: Argentina, one of the tournament's most productive teams, will fight against Spain's ball control and solid defense. Spain has conceded only one goal in the tournament so far, while Argentina has won all seven matches.

For Messi, this is an opportunity to decorate his legendary career in world football with another championship. For Spain, it is the final step towards winning the main trophy for the second time since 2010.

One step to the final miracle

Argentina turned defeat into victory in the final minutes against England. Messi did not score, but was again at the center of the game with two decisive assists.

Now the reigning champion faces the biggest test against Spain. As Messi said, every final is unique. But this final could be more special than all others for him and for Argentine football.

Do you think Messi can lead Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup title?