Lionel Messi declared that Argentina's doubters have been silenced after his side came from behind to beat England 2-1 in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night. The Barcelona legend set up both goals, including a stoppage-time winner, to send Argentina into the final against Spain.
Comeback Victory Over England
England took the lead ten minutes into the second half through Anthony Gordon. However, with just five minutes remaining, Messi set up Enzo Fernandez for a stunning strike from distance. Then, in the second minute of injury time, Messi crossed for Lautaro Martinez to head home the winner.
Argentina needed extra time to win two of their four knockout games, having been pushed hard by Cabo Verde, Switzerland, and England. Despite the criticism, Messi believes the team proved their quality.
Messi Silences Critics
Following 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." He added: "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."
Historic Final Appearance
By reaching the final, Messi will become just the second player after Brazilian legend Cafu to feature in three World Cup finals. A victory over Euro 2024 champions Spain would also make him the first captain to successfully defend the World Cup. The 39-year-old now leads the golden boot race with eight goals and four assists.
Messi reflected: "Everything we experienced was incredible, from the very beginning. 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."
Team Resilience Praised
He continued: "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."
