Lionel Messi & Argentina's incredible road to 2026 World Cup final

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Major League Soccer

16 July 2026

By Jaime Uribarri

What a ride it’s been for

Lionel Messi

and

Argentina

at the 2026

FIFA World Cup

The defending champions have delivered one epic performance after another to reach Sunday’s final against

Spain

(3 pm ET | FOX, Telemundo, Peacock), bringing the soccer-obsessed nation within a win of crowning one of the most memorable

World Cup

campaigns ever with back-to-back titles.

Here’s how Messi & Co. overcame every obstacle thrown their way this summer to find themselves on the cusp of

immortality.

Argentina came flying out of the gates, easily topping Group J with three wins in three games and a +7 goal difference behind Messi’s masterful form.

The

Inter Miami CF

superstar No. 10, who entered his joint-record sixth

with an MLS-best 20 goal contributions (12g/8), kept the goals coming for La Albiceleste, including a first-ever

hat trick in a

3-0 opening win

over Algeria.

Messi followed it up with a brace in a

2-0 victory

over Austria before capping a

3-1 defeat

of Jordan with a late goal, in the process becoming the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer, among other records.

After a stress-free Group Stage, Messi & Co. got their first true test of adversity in the Round of 32 against Cape Verde. They passed by the skin of their teeth.

debutants, featuring

Columbus Crew

defender

Steven Moreira

, took the champions to the absolute limit, rallying twice in an epic extra-time battle that finally went Argentina’s way,

3-2

, thanks to an 111th-minute own goal.

“This

especially, everything is very even,” Messi told reporters after the hard-fought result at Miami Stadium. “Every game is going to be extremely difficult.”

Egypt made things markedly more difficult for

in the Round of 16, jumping to a 2-0 lead at Atlanta Stadium to put the champs on the brink of elimination.

But Messi would not be denied, taking control in the 79th minute by assisting on Cristian Romero’s header before scoring the equalizer four minutes later.

With momentum on La Albiceleste’s side, Enzo Fernández completed the epic

2-1 comeback

with the 92nd-minute game-winner.

Argentina delivered more drama in the quarterfinals, needing extra time once again to advance past Switzerland,

3-1

, at Kansas City Stadium.

Messi linked up with Alexis Mac Allister for an early goal, but the Rossocrociati hung tough and found a surprise equalizer via Dan Ndoye in the 67th minute. Following Breel Embolo’s second yellow card infraction five minutes later, the Swiss bunkered down defensively and began playing with a penalty-kick shootout in mind.

They almost got their wish, but Julián Álvarez had other plans, scoring a stunning 112th-minute golazo. Lautaro Martínez tacked on an insurance tally as

avoided PKs and kept their

dreams alive.

Messi’s

first taste

of the Argentina-England rivalry delivered as expected, as the back-to-back Landon Donovan MLS MVP inspired his country to a

2-1 semifinal win

for the ages.

This time, La Albiceleste were five minutes away from elimination, trailing the Three Lions 1-0 on Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute opener.

But Messi found a way once again, assisting on Enzo Fernández’s 85th-minute equalizer before lifting a perfect cross at the far post for Lautaro Martínez to head home the dramatic game-winner in the 92nd minute.

“We thought [what happened] against Egypt was the best thing ever. We’d never seen anything like that before,” head coach Lionel Scaloni told reporters. “I think this surpassed it. Beyond the quality of the opponent, it’s a semifinal.

“And the way it happened, I don’t know if this has happened before.”

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England v Argentina, a semi-final steeped in history for Buenos Aires

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