Messi Magic Sinks England As Argentina Roar Into World Cup Final
Lionel Messi rolled back the years with another masterclass as defending champions Argentina came from behind to beat England 2-1 in a pulsating FIFA World Cup semi-final and book a mouth-watering final against Spain.
England looked on course for a famous victory after Anthony Gordon powered home a superb header to hand the Three Lions an early lead, silencing the Argentine faithful.
Despite falling behind, Argentina remained composed and continued to dominate possession, patiently probing for an opening while England relied on swift counter-attacks and the heroics of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
The equaliser arrived through the brilliance of Messi. The Argentine captain threaded a defence-splitting pass into the path of Enzo Fernández, who unleashed a thunderous strike from outside the penalty area that flew beyond Pickford and into the back of the net.
Fernández had earlier tested the England goalkeeper with a similar long-range effort, but Pickford produced a stunning save to keep his side in front. The Everton shot-stopper went on to make several outstanding saves to frustrate the South Americans.
However, Messi’s quality eventually proved too much for England. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner delivered a teasing cross into the box, where Lautaro Martínez rose above the defence to head home the winner, leaving Pickford with no chance.
England threw caution to the wind in the closing stages, introducing Marcus Rashford and Ivan Toney in a desperate attempt to rescue the game. The substitutions injected fresh energy into the attack, but Argentina’s resolute defence held firm to deny the Three Lions a route back into the contest.
At the final whistle, the Argentine players celebrated wildly after securing another place in the World Cup final, where they will face 2010 champions Spain in what promises to be a thrilling showdown on Sunday.
England, meanwhile, must quickly regroup as they prepare to face 2022 runners-up France in Saturday’s third-place playoff after another heartbreaking exit on the world stage.
