Lionel Messi has moved ahead of Kylian Mbappe in the World Cup Golden Boot race after providing two assists in Argentina's 2-1 semi-final win over England. The holders will face Spain in Sunday's final after coming from behind to beat Thomas Tuchel's side on Wednesday night.
Argentina's Gritty Path to Final
The South American giants have shown resilience throughout the tournament in North America. Argentina survived a dramatic last-32 clash against Cape Verde before coming back from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2 in the last 16. Lionel Scaloni's team then needed extra time to see off Switzerland before rallying from behind again to knock out England.
Messi's Golden Boot Lead
The 39-year-old Inter Miami star has netted eight goals at this summer's World Cup, tying him with France's Mbappe. However, his two assists against the Three Lions have broken that tie. Mbappe could respond in Saturday's third-placed playoff against England, but if the Real Madrid forward does not score or provide more assists, the Golden Boot race will be effectively decided before Sunday's final.
Messi's primary focus remains on helping Argentina become the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner believes his team silenced remaining critics with their semi-final victory.
Messi's Post-Match Reaction
After the match, Messi said: "It was a special match against England, we couldn't lose. While this group doesn't owe anything to anyone, you know how Argentinians are, we always demand more. I think if we had lost today, people would have come out and said some nonsense, and we didn't give them the chance. We knew that we were better than them in terms of football."
He added: "But a lot is at stake in a match of this magnitude, where historic events happen in these games, but it's still special because of everything it represents, and we had to win."
Historic Final Appearance
When Messi appears against Spain, he will become only the second player, after Brazil legend Cafu, to play in three World Cup finals. Victory against the Euro 2024 winners would also see him become the first captain to retain football's most famous trophy.
Messi reflected: "Everything we experienced was incredible, from the very beginning, as we said. Although it was a football match, when we started to enter the field and during the anthem, we experienced special feelings, and the group felt that. It wasn't just another victory; it was an important victory that the Argentine people wanted, and we wanted it too, and it put us in another World Cup final."
He concluded: "It's crazy to play two World Cup finals in a row. This group is incredible. Today we went looking for it again when things got tough, we never stopped believing, never stopped trying. With our style of play, today we really put our game into it when we were down on the scoreboard. We pinned them back in their own half and it's an enormous joy."
