Prateek Tanmay
2 min readJul 16, 2026 08:44 AM IST
Lionel Messi managed to freeze time and his opponents as he marshalled Argentina to an epic 2-1 comeback win over England in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday night.
Despite not entering the scoresheet, Messi masterminded another comeback victory for the world champions in the knockout stage after trailing 0-1 until the 85th minute after Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute goal had put the Three Lions ahead in their first World Cup meeting in 24 years.
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Messi soon found space from his favoured spot on the right wing as manager Lionel Scaloni’s decisive tactical switch plotted England’s downfall. The 39-year-old Messi provided the match-turning pass to Enzo Fernandez, who slotted home the equaliser from outside the box, beating England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford with power and the swerving angle to the left side of the goal. A curling Messi cross in stoppage time then met a fiery header from substitute Lautaro Martinez.
Messi and Argentina marched into their World Cup final together, breaking a heap of records along the way.
Here’s a look at all the records Messi broke in the Argentina vs England World Cup semi-final
- 01
Assists king
With two assists, Messi extended his all-time World Cup record for the most assists in the tournament to 12 across six editions, 10 of which have come in the knockout stages.
According to Opta, no other player has managed more than eight assists in their World Cup careers in the last 60 years.
- 02
Dribbling goat
Messi completed nine dribbles during his first-ever meeting England at the senior level. According to Opta, this is the joint-most the dribbles he had completed in an international match. Messi became the first player to record nine dribbles and two assists to do so in a World Cup knockout game.
- 9 v England in 2026
- 9 v Iceland in 2018
- 9 v Germany in 2010
- 03
G/A streak
Messi has now scored or assisted in 13 consecutive matches for club and country, making it the second-longest such streak in his entire professional career. He had previously enjoyed a 14-game run that ended in 2011.
- 04
World Cup finals record
Messi is set to take the pitch in his third World Cup final after 2014 and 2022. He will only become the second player in history to appear after Brazil’s Cafu (1994, ’98, ’02) to play in three World Cup finals.
Argentina also became the first side to secure five goals from outside the box during a World Cup campaign, the joint-most in an edition since 1966 with Messi (twice), Giovani Lo Celso, Julián Alvarez and Enzo Fernández registering the goals.
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Argentina is also in with a chance to become the first time in 64 years to defend the crown after Brazil in 1962 when they face Spain in the final at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Sunday night. Meanwhile, England will face France in the third-place Playoff at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
