Lionel Messi, the star of the Argentine national team, continued his record numbers in the 2026 World Cup, amid the wonderful levels he is presenting during the current edition of the Mundial.
The Argentine national team defeated their English counterpart, two goals to one, in the match that brought the two teams together, yesterday evening, Wednesday, at Atlanta Stadium, in the United States of America, for the semi-final matches of the 2026 World Cup.
While the England national team was leading the score with a goal without reply, until the 85th minute, the Argentine national team succeeded in equalizing, then scoring the winning goal within just 7 minutes.
Lionel Messi created the two goals for the Argentine national team, as Enzo Fernández scored the first goal in the 85th minute, while Lautaro Martínez scored the second goal in the second minute of stoppage time.
Messi, with 8 goals and 4 assists, became the first player to contribute to 12 goals in a single edition of the World Cup since Gerd Müller with Germany when he scored 13 goals and made 10 others, in 1970, about 56 years ago.
Lionel Messi also became the first player to provide two decisive passes in a World Cup semi-final since Philipp Lahm with Germany against Brazil on July 8, 2014.
The Argentine national team qualified to face Spain in the final round of the 2026 World Cup, after La Roja defeated France two goals without reply in the semi-final.
The United States of America is hosting the 2026 World Cup, along with Mexico and Canada, with the participation of 48 teams, for the first time in the history of the tournament, during the period from last June 11 to July 19.
