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New Delhi: Lionel Messi’s magic helped Argentina secure a 2-1 comeback victory over England in the second semifinal of theFIFA World Cup 2026 on Wednesday, July 16. The Argentine captain wasn’t on the scoresheet, but provided two assists for the defending champions in the second half.

Messi took his tally to eight goals and four assists in the ongoing edition of the World Cup, putting Argentina on the verge of retaining the title. Before the start of the tournament, Messi was often compared with Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo in the debate of who was the greatest footballer of history, a rivalry that reached at its peak during their time at Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively.

But Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni believes that the debate is well and truly settled. “There are no longer any doubts that he is the greatest footballer in history,” said Lionel Scaloni during the post-match press conference, as quoted by Marca.

Since the start of the knockout stages, the defending champions have been under immense pressure and had to dig deep against Cape Verde. Argentina then made a sensational comeback from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16. They also beat Switzerland in extra time to qualify for the semifinals.

The Argentina coach feels that his side plays the best football when they are under pressure. He further added that his team has the skill to identify when their opponents hesitate a little and go on the back foot.

“I honestly think this team plays its best football when it’s under pressure. When we’re struggling, and the opponent hesitates just a little, we smell blood and we go for it with everything we’ve got. That’s the feeling this team gives me,” Scaloni told a post-match press conference.

Argentina have a chance to script history and become just the third team after Italy and Brazil to win consecutive World Cup titles if they manage to beat Spain in the final on Sunday, July 19.