Lionel Messi hailed a "special" win after Argentina beat England to reach the World Cup final, with the veteran at the heart of a come-from-behind 2-1 win.
After Anthony Gordon gave England the lead, 39-year-old Messi provided the pass for Enzo Fernández to smash in an 85th-minute equaliser and then also the cross for Lautaro Martínez to head in the winner in Atlanta.
Messi said victory in the semi-final was "quite a special one, especially playing against England with all the historical context."
The game in Atlanta was played against the backdrop of the sovereignty row over the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands in the South Atlantic. Argentina invaded in 1982 but Britain regained control after a brief war.
Speaking to reporters after Wednesday's match, Messi paid tribute to his Argentina teammates and their never-say-die attitude.
It was the latest demonstration of Argentina's grit at the 2026 tournament. In the last-16 match against Egypt they recovered from being 2-0 down to win 3-2.
"What the group has been doing is incredible, and this, of course, is again something that shows our character, our grit, our collective, the way that we play together," said Messi. "It was really, truly amazing."
"It's crazy to play two World Cup finals in a row," said the skipper, reflecting on Argentina's achievement.
“We’re experiencing something special; I think the whole team felt it, and we knew this wasn’t just another win –it was a crucial victory that the Argentine people wanted, and so did we,” said Messi, referring to his nation's historic rivalry with England.
“Without getting into all that, it’s still a special match,” he emphasised.
“Today we went out to get it again when things were looking grim; we never stopped believing or trying to play our game,” said the captain.
Messi said he was looking forward to facing Spain in the final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday, where he will face the country where he spent most of his career, at Barcelona.
He said Spain, who beat France 2-0 to reach the final, were "a fantastic side, wonderful players."
"They play very, very well. I know them quite well. Their whole idea and philosophy has been very well [developed] throughout this time, and I know the players as well."
– TIMES/AFP
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