Cote: Late Messi magic conjures an Argentina-Spain World Cup finale | Opinion
The “Hand of God” is a phrase embedded in the legend and lore of international soccer and the grudge rivalry that is Argentina vs. England.
Forty years later, on Wednesday, the Foot of Messi was enough. Messi — the G.O.A.T., the football god, how the very word “Messiah” begins — had the crossing-pass assist that led to Lautaro Martinez’s winning goal in the 92nd minute in Atlanta as Argentina beat England 2-1 in the World Cup semifinal to reach Sunday’s championship match vs. Spain in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Messi is 39. If there is an age limit on magic and miracles, this man keeps missing the memo. His stature as the greatest ever keeps rising, elevating, growing.
The men’s FIFA World Cup tournament and the sport of soccer could not lose Wednesday no matter which nation advanced to meet Spain on Sunday.
An Argentina semifinal win now gives Messi the chance — in what almost certainly will be his final match ever on the World Cup stage —- to make his country the first back-to-back champion since Brazil in 1958 and ‘62. An England triumph would have put the nation that invented modern football in position to win its first World Cup since ever-distant 1966.
So it’s Argentina-Spain for the biggest trophy in the biggest sport, but Miami’s Saturday’s consolation third-place game is a good one, too, with France vs. England. Also on the weekend, in different games, Messi and France’s Kylian Mbappe will vie for the Golden Boot for tournament goal-scoring leader. Both have eight, though Messi surged ahead on the assist tiebreaker with two more on Wednesday.
In 1986 Maradona’s infamous uncalled handball/goal for Argentina beat England in the World Cup quarterfinals. Forty years later, Wednesday, England was mere minutes from exacting payback at last.
The Brits led 1-0 in the 55th minute on an Anthony Gordon goal and held the advantage until Argentina’s equalizer in the 85th minute on Enzo Fernandez’s shot. Then, with overtime and perhaps a penalty kicks tiebreaker looming, Messi broke to the opponent end line and, with his right foot, not his favored left, put an exquisite cross onto the head of Martinez, who could not miss with ideally placed Messi’s gift.
The greatest World Cup semifinals round ever (said me, and others) began as a bit of an anticlimax with France and Mbappe made to all-but-disappear in Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to Spain in Dallas. The normally fluid attack of the World Cup betting favorites was suffocated by a Spanish side whose midfield dominated.
The French surely will consider Saturday’s consolation match a massive letdown. France won the World Cup in 2018, was narrowly a runner-up in 2022 and absolutely expected to be back in the title game this time. So did bettors. With four teams left entering the semifinals, France — by consensus and most eyes the best team all tournament — was a +140 favorite per DraftKIngs to win it all.
Spain had much to say about that, with Mikel Oyarzabal’s penalty kick score in the 22nd minute, Pedro Porro converting a French defensive lapse in the 58th and goalkeeper Unai Simon continuing to grand marshal a defense that has allowed only one goal this entire Cup run.
Whether it was Spain’s mastery, France’s stunning no-show or a combination, Spain would be the favorite Sunday in its first final since winning the World Cup in 2010, when most of the current players were young boys — and teen sensation Lamine Yamal was a toddler about to turn 3.
Wednesday, Argentina-England more than made up for the French letdown in the semis opener.
The Brits will receive way too much heat for blowing it, for choking, for late subs that meant to create a defensive shell but backfired. Instead, the Argentines should enjoy enormous credit for an all-out assault in the game’s final 10 or 12 minutes. Two shots caromed off the goalpost. English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was playing lights-out against the barrage.
In the end, though, it was the Foot of Messi that beat him, and lifted a team, and a stadium full of partisan fans, and a nation.
One of the great international rivalries, this one, with roots in the Falkland War, in Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal, in other top-tier meetings across the decades. But this, remarkably, would be Messi’s first World Cup match vs. The Three Lions in his record 33rd World Cup game overall.
It was heated. Words were exchanged and players separated in the grudge match by the third minute. The nil-nil first half was strewn with 19 combined fouls and a pair of yellow cards vs. only three total shots taken, none threatening the net. A frenetic early pace would not last as the second half began with the game suggesting the first goal scored might be the last. A hero to step up was needed.
A few did. That Messi was one, and the one who decided it late, was demanded of the moment, and of history —Messi delivering as usual.
Now, Spain is an early betting favorite against Argentina on Sunday. And it makes some logical sense.
Ah, but Messi still the best, still the difference-maker, at age 39 — that makes no sense at all. And it is wonderful magic to behold.
This story was originally published July 15, 2026 at 4:35 PM with the headline "Cote: Late Messi magic conjures an Argentina-Spain World Cup finale | Opinion."
