Messi Adds Two Assists as Argentina Beat England 2-1 to Reach the Final, Chasing Back-to-Back World Cup Titles

[Financial News] Argentina defeated England and will now chase back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles. On the day, the "god of football" Lionel Messi assisted both of Argentina's goals to lead the team into the final.
On the 16th, Argentina beat England 2-1 in the semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, United States, and advanced to the final.
Argentina fell behind in the 10th minute of the second half when Anthony Gordon gave England the opening goal. With the net still hard to find, the team faced the threat of elimination. But Enzo Fernández equalized in the 40th minute of the second half, and Lautaro Martínez scored the winner in stoppage time, sending Argentina to a second straight final after the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Both goals began with Messi's touch. He added two assists on the day, bringing his tournament total to eight goals and four assists. That moved him to the top of the scoring race ahead of Kylian Mbappé of France, who has eight goals and three assists. In the FIFA World Cup, assists are used as the tiebreaker when players are level on goals.
Messi has played the role of Argentina's decisive man throughout the tournament. From the group stage through the quarterfinals, he delivered in crucial moments, and he once again proved his impact on this day.
This is expected to be his sixth and likely final World Cup, and attention is now on whether Messi can defeat Spain, known as La Roja, in the final on the 20th and set a new record by winning consecutive World Cup titles.
Meanwhile, the final between Argentina and Spain will be held at 4 a.m. on the 20th at New York New Jersey Stadium in the United States. The third-place match between England and France will take place at 6 a.m. on the 19th at Miami Stadium in the United States.
newssu@fnnews.com Kim Soo-yeon Reporter