Lionel Messi turned back the clock with another masterclass as Argentina defeated England 2-1 to reach the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, producing one of his finest individual displays of the tournament at the age of 39.

The Argentina captain completed a tournament-high nine successful dribbles, registered the match-winning assist for Lautaro Martinez and extended one of the most remarkable scoring streaks of his legendary career.

Lionel Messi matches World Cup dribbling record at 39

Messi completed nine successful dribbles against England, equalling the highest tally of his World Cup career.

Remarkably, all three of his nine-dribble World Cup performances have come across three different decades:

The performance highlighted his enduring ability to beat defenders despite being the oldest outfield player in Argentina’s squad.

Lionel Messi covers most ground of his World Cup campaign

It wasn’t just his quality on the ball that stood out.

Messi ran 5.2 miles (8.37 km) against England, his highest distance covered in any match during the 2026 FIFA World Cup that did not go to extra time.

The statistic underlined his growing influence throughout the match as Argentina fought back from 1-0 down.

Match-winning assist continues remarkable streak

After England took the lead through Anthony Gordon, Argentina responded with goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez.

Messi produced the decisive moment deep into stoppage time, floating a perfectly weighted cross into the penalty area for Martinez to head home the winner.

The assist extended another extraordinary milestone.

Messi has now either scored or assisted in 13 consecutive matches for club and country.

It is the second-longest such streak of his entire career, surpassed only by a 14-match run that ended in 2011.

Lionel Messi took control after England opener

The first half offered little space, with both teams combining for just 0.08 expected goals (xG) and committing 11 fouls in the opening 24 minutes.

England looked comfortable after Anthony Gordon gave them the lead early in the second half, but the goal changed the complexion of the contest.

Messi began dropping deeper to collect possession, repeatedly driving past England’s midfield and creating overloads.

His influence grew as Argentina dominated possession, with Alexis Mac Allister striking the post before Enzo Fernandez equalised from distance.

The decisive moment arrived in stoppage time when Messi’s inch-perfect delivery found Lautaro Martinez to send the defending champions into another World Cup final.

Argentina will now face Spain in Sunday’s FIFA World Cup 2026 final, with Messi aiming to add another World Cup title to his glittering career.