The 39-year-old Argentina captain provided assists for Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez in the dying minutes of Wednesday's highly charged clash at Atlanta Stadium as the world champions came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory.

The connection between Maradona and Messi goes far beyond shared celebrations. Both grew up in a football culture where every child dreams of wearing the No.10 shirt. On dusty pitches, with worn-out boots and endless passion, they learned to play the Argentine way -- with creativity, courage, and the ball always at their feet.

Hampered by Tuchel's cautious substitutions, England squandered a golden opportunity to reach their first World Cup final since 1966, blowing the lead as Argentina scored twice in the closing minutes to snatch a 2-1 win on Wednesday.

The image first captured global attention in 2024

The Golden Boot remains one of the few major honours missing from Messi's glittering career.

That is why Argentina are back in the World Cup final, because every time they were tested, they chose to fight instead of surrender

The defining narrative of this match lies in the sheer warfare on the pitch.

Following the thrilling encounter, players and coaches from both sides reflected on the dramatic contest.

Lionel Messi engineered a spectacular comeback for Argentina against England in their World Cup semi-final on Thursday to keep his team on track for back-to-back titles.

After controlling much of the early play and taking a 1-0 lead in the 55th minute, England seemingly went into a shell, attempting to pack the back end and protect its lead while losing the aggressiveness that got it the lead in the first place.

Messi said victory in the semifinal was "quite a special one, especially playing against England with all the historical context".

Atlanta was supposed to be the night England finally buried 60 years of hurt. Instead, it became another reminder that this country remains its own worst enemy.

England had 12% of the possession from the time that Gordon opened the scoring to Martinez’s winner 38 minutes later.

England were minutes from the final before Argentina turned the World Cup semifinal on its head in Atlanta today. Revisit the drama, emotion and defining moments in pictures.

Argentina booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final after a dramatic 2-1 victory over England in a tense semifinal, but the post-match celebrations quickly extended beyond football as several players displayed a banner reaffirming the country's claim over the Falkland Islands.

Argentina staged yet another dramatic comeback at the FIFA World Cup 2026, defeating England 2-1 at Atlanta Stadium on Thursday to book their place in the final for the successive time.

Most teams that go on to achieve ultimate glory have one thing in common: resilience.

Captain Harry Kane insisted England's intention was never to sit back after taking the lead against Argentina, but admitted his side were overwhelmed by a relentless surge that turned a World Cup semifinal they seemed destined to win into another chapter of tournament heartbreak.

"Speechless. This is a joy for our country and our people. The other day I said this group never ceases to amaze me, and tonight they proved it again."

When the world tuned in to the 2026 World Cup semi-final between Spain and France, all eyes were fixed on the superstars. The pre-match narrative was dominated by Kylian Mbappe's lethal finishing, Michael Olise's fluid football and the brilliance of Lamine Yamal.