Messi and Argentina have been kings of late-game heroics at this World Cup
Argentina scored 11 goals in the 79th minute or later, including two late winners against England and Switzerland, to reach the final.
- On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, Argentina defeated England 2-1 in Atlanta to reach the World Cup final. Lionel Messi assisted both late goals, setting up a championship match against Spain this Sunday.
- Argentina's comeback relied on late-game scoring, marking the 11th time the defending champions scored in the 79th minute or later this tournament. Enzo Fernandez equalized in the 85th minute, followed by Lautaro Martinez's stoppage-time winner.
- Trailing 1-0 after an Anthony Gordon goal, Messi broke to the end line in the 92nd minute and delivered an assist to Martinez. His crossing pass proved decisive in overcoming England's early lead.
- Spain advanced to Sunday's final after defeating France 2-0 on Tuesday in Dallas. Goalkeeper Unai Simon has allowed only one goal all tournament, anchoring a defense positioned as the early betting favorite.
- This semifinal win gives Messi a chance to make Argentina the first back-to-back champion since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. The final will be his record 33rd World Cup game.
32 Articles
32 Articles
World Champion Argentina is in the finals for the third time in the last four World Cup editions, where it meets Spain. For the European Champion from 2024, it says to the end: stay waxy! Lionel Messi & Co. develop into experts for late goals at this World Cup.
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Argentina's formidable late-game resilience: Half of the tournament's goals were scored in the final moments. Foreign media reports that despite the threat of elimination, they counterattacked as they always do in this tournament. Defending champions Argentina secured a spot in the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup final with a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over England. They displayed incredible late-game strength by scoring two goals in quick succession,
How Messi and Argentina's late-game heroics powered their World Cup run to final
In this World Cup, Lionel Messi and Argentina have owned the final minutes.Wednesday's rally past England in the World Cup semifinals - Argentina trailed 1-0 late before winning 2-1 - only added another entry on the long list of late-game dramatics by the defending champions, who will now play Spain in Sunday's final.Among them: A pair of rallies from late-game deficits in the knockout stage, coming back from 2-0 down to beat Egypt and then 1-0 …
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