Argentina captain Lionel Messi celebrated his side’s dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over England in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal, hailing the team’s resilience after securing a place in the final.
In a post on Instagram following Wednesday’s match (local time), Messi thanked supporters for their faith in the squad and praised his teammates for another determined display.
“WE’RE IN THE FINAL!!!!! We dug deep once again to put in another great performance. A huge thank you to everyone who believed in this group!!! Let’s go Argentina!!!!” Messi wrote.
The defending champions will face Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on Sunday, July 19 (local time), while England’s bid to reach their first World Cup final since 1966 came to an end. England will take on France in the third-place playoff.
England took the lead in the 55th minute when Anthony Gordon converted Morgan Rogers’ cross after a closely contested first half that offered few clear-cut chances.
Argentina increased the pressure after conceding, forcing England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford into several crucial saves, while Alexis Mac Allister struck the post before the equaliser arrived. Enzo Fernandez levelled the score in the 85th minute after being set up by Messi.
The comeback was completed in stoppage time when Messi delivered a cross for Lautaro Martinez, who headed home the winner to send Argentina into a second successive World Cup final.
(With inputs from ANI)
