Messi Bids Farewell to Argentina with Two Assists in Semifinal Win Over England

A corner from the right, a feint, one of those pauses that only he knows how to insert amid the chaos of a semifinal. That was the script for Lionel Messi's final two assists in an Argentina jersey, coming in the very match that sent the Albiceleste to the 2026 World Cup final after knocking out England.

The announcement of Messi's retirement from the national team closed a chapter that began nearly two decades ago, and it ended exactly the way anyone would have dreamed: with the ball glued to his left foot, deciding the biggest match of them all. Among everything else it will be remembered for, the semifinal against England will stand as the stage for his last act of playmaking.

The first assist: patience until finding Enzo

It was the 85th minute when Argentina won a corner on the right side. Messi, standing over the ball, surprised everyone with a short corner kick, playing it to Rodrigo De Paul, who returned it a bit closer to the box. That's when things got interesting. He took on Djed Spence, let the seconds tick by, waited for Elliot Anderson to close in as well, and the moment space opened up, so did the perfect pass for Enzo Fernández, who had been left completely alone at the edge of the area. The midfielder made no mistake: a precise strike made it 1-1 on the scoreboard.

It was a textbook play, the kind that looks simple but can only be understood if someone has the composure to read the game amid the pressure of a World Cup semifinal.

The second assist: the cross that sealed qualification

What stands out most is that the story repeated itself down the same flank. Already in stoppage time, with the clock reading the 92nd minute, Messi once again started a play from that right side. This time he took on two English defenders head on, drove all the way to the byline without losing control, and just before running out of room, delivered a cross with his right foot, something unusual for him but just as effective.

The ball found the head of Lautaro Martínez, who nodded it in for the final 2-1. That goal sealed Argentina's place in the 2026 World Cup final and, unbeknownst to most of those present at the time, it also closed the book on Messi's assists with the national team.

Two plays, two assists, the same side of the field. Two different ways of solving the problem: one with patience and a threaded pass, the other with speed and a cross to the back post. Few farewells sum up as well what Messi meant to Argentina: decisive until the final minute, in the biggest match of them all.