Four years ago in Qatar 2022, the world believed Lionel Messi had written the final chapter of his World Cup story. At 35, the Argentine icon lifted the sport’s biggest prize, confirming his status as football’s undisputed greatest and announced the tournament would be his last. What no one predicted was that four years later, at 39, he would deliver one of the most devastating performances in World Cup semifinal history, crushing England’s title hopes and booking Argentina a spot in their second consecutive World Cup final.
The stage was set in Atlanta for Messi’s first ever career meeting with England — a fixture Three Lions fans and manager Thomas Tuchel would quickly come to regret. A gritty, attritional first half saw the veteran operate in a more central role, showing only flashes of his trademark quality. That changed after Anthony Gordon put England ahead in the 55th minute. When Tuchel opted to bring on extra defenders and drop his side into a deep block, Argentina dominated 88% of possession over the next 37 minutes, and Messi, shifted out to the right wing, turned the tie into a one-man show.
The statistical breakdown of Messi’s performance defies belief. He completed nine successful dribbles — more than the entire England side combined, which managed just seven. He recorded seven touches in the opposition penalty area, matching the total of every English player on the pitch. He created four scoring chances, put in nine game-high crosses, and delivered the two decisive assists that turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 come-from-behind win. He is the first player since record-keeping began in 1966 to notch nine dribbles and two assists in a single World Cup knockout match.
Messi’s first assist came from a well-rehearsed corner routine in the 85th minute, finding Enzo Fernandez unmarked on the edge of the box to slam home the equaliser. Then, in stoppage time, he delivered a pinpoint cross that Lautaro Martinez nodded into the back of the net for the winning goal, sending Argentina through to Sunday’s final in New Jersey against Spain — the country where Messi spent the bulk of his club career with Barcelona.
This 2026 tournament has cemented Messi’s unprecedented World Cup legacy. Already the tournament’s all-time top scorer with 21 World Cup goals — 15 of which have come after his 35th birthday — he has notched eight goals at this edition, tying Kylian Mbappe for the tournament lead. With four assists to Mbappe’s three, he holds the advantage in the Golden Boot tiebreaker, and is just one assist behind tournament leader Michael Olise, putting him in contention for both the top scorer and top assister honors.
What makes this run all the more remarkable is the unlikely journey that brought Messi to this point. Back in 2016, at 29, a heartbroken Messi retired from international football after losing the 2014 World Cup final and three consecutive Copa America finals. He reversed that decision, went on to win two Copas America, and lifted the 2022 World Cup in Qatar — a moment that seemed to complete his career. When he left European football for Inter Miami in MLS a year later, the general assumption was he would wind down his career far from the biggest international stages. Even 12 months ago, few expected him to feature at this 2026 tournament.
Now, he has reinvented his game once again. Biographer and football journalist Guillem Balague notes Messi has overhauled his tactical approach at least five times throughout his career, and this tournament is no exception: before the England match, he had walked 47% of the total distance he covered across the tournament — the highest share of any outfield player, conserving energy for the moments that matter. He has now scored or assisted in 13 consecutive matches for club and country; a goal involvement in Sunday’s final against Spain will tie his 2011 record of 14 straight games with a goal contribution, and he will become only the second player in history, after Cafu, to feature in three World Cup finals.
Footballing figures across the globe have poured praise on Messi after the semifinal masterclass. Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said: “He’s the best player in history, I don’t know what else he would have to do to prove that. The majority of Spaniards love him.” BBC pundit and former England defender Micah Richards added: “They have Lionel Messi. They have the ‘GOAT’. The greatest of all time. We thought it could have been Jude Bellingham or Harry Kane, but this is why he is the king. He walks around the pitch and then he comes alive when the ball comes to his feet. This genius comes into play and sometimes that is just the difference.”
England captain Harry Kane acknowledged Messi’s match-winning quality, saying: “For large parts of the game we dealt with him really well, but as always with the most dangerous players in the world when they have the ball they can create something. He’s one of the best players ever for a reason.” Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart pointed to England’s tactical choice that opened the door for Messi: “The guys went back to what they did against Mexico and Norway where they locked the door. What that did was free up Lionel Messi, who had the skeleton key – he absolutely ran the show for the last 15 minutes.”
Many had assumed 2022 would be Messi’s final World Cup, and even after this run, logic suggests 2030 — when Messi will turn 43 — is too far out. But for an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner who has defied every expectation and prediction at this stage of his career, one thing is clear: no one should dare presume what comes next for the greatest player the game has ever seen.