Messi Powers Argentina Into World Cup Final

A Night of Records and Redemption
This wasn't just another semifinal win. Argentina now sit level with Brazil for the second-most World Cup final appearances in history, with seven, trailing only Germany's eight. They're also aiming to become just the third nation ever to win back-to-back titles, following Italy's feat in 1934 and 1938 and Brazil's in 1958 and 1962.

The numbers around this Argentina side are hard to ignore. They've now scored two or more goals in 13 straight World Cup matches, a record that beats Uruguay's old mark of 11 from 1930 to 1954. And with Argentina ranked number one and Spain number two heading into the tournament, Sunday's final will be the first meeting between the top two ranked teams since FIFA introduced rankings back in 1992.

For England, the night ended painfully. This marks the third time in four World Cup semifinal appearances that they've gone home empty-handed, with 1966 remaining their only successful run to the final, a title they won on home soil. Their five shots on the night were the fewest by any team in a World Cup match over the last six decades, and after Anthony Gordon's 55th-minute goal, they managed just 12 percent of the possession for the remainder of the match, one of the lowest such spells recorded in this tournament.

Messi's Fingerprints Are Everywhere
At 39 years and 21 days old, Messi became the oldest outfield player to ever appear in a World Cup semifinal, trailing only goalkeepers Peter Shilton and Dino Zoff on the all-time list for oldest players in the competition. Age clearly hasn't slowed him down. He won 12 duels against England, his highest total in a World Cup match since 2014, and completed nine dribbles, the most by any player in a single game this tournament.

His playmaking has been just as remarkable as his physical output. Messi has now scored or assisted in 11 consecutive World Cup matches dating back to 2022, the longest such streak in the last 60 years. He also holds 10 World Cup knockout-stage assists, six more than anyone else on record, with Pelé and Antoine Griezmann next on four apiece. Against England, he generated 0.86 expected assists on his own, more than England's entire team combined.

Zoom out further, and the career numbers become staggering. Messi has racked up 33 goal contributions in 33 career World Cup appearances, made up of 21 goals and 12 assists, well clear of Kylian Mbappé's 25. He's also the leading chance creator of the last 60 World Cup years, and his next chance created will bring him to triple figures, with Diego Maradona a distant second on 71.

Should he take the field in Sunday's final, Messi will join Cafu as the only player to have featured in three World Cup finals. He's already reached the final in eight of the 13 major tournaments he's played for Argentina, a success rate above 60 percent.

There were milestones for others too. Lautaro Martínez became the first Argentine to score multiple World Cup goals as a substitute in the same tournament, and his strike was also the fourth stoppage-time, game-winning substitute goal of this year's knockout stage, more than every previous World Cup combined. For England, Harry Kane's appearance took him past Wayne Rooney as the country's most-capped outfield player, with only Shilton now ahead of him.

Argentina will now turn their attention to Spain, hoping to defend its crown and cement its place among football's greatest dynasties.