Lionel Messi showed why he is the greatest in many people’s eyes during Argentina’s victory over England.
Argentina found themselves trailing late on in the game once again, but Messi and his teammates were able to keep a cool head right until the final whistle.
Despite taking the lead through Anthony Gordon’s goal, it only looked like one team would win when Thomas Tuchel’s side dropped so deep.
Heartbreak for England at the end as Argentina reach the final 💔 Where did it go wrong?
Did England exceed, meet or not reach expectations?
England allowed Argentina to play the final 20 minutes of the game just how they wanted to and it ultimately cost the Three Lions their shot in the final.
Messi turned on the style in those latter stages, with the 39-year-old admitting he simply could not accept losing to England.
What Lionel Messi said about the idea of losing to England
After securing their spot in the final against Spain, Messi dedicated Argentina’s victory to Diego Maradona.
The reigning champions now have the opportunity to go back-to-back, with Messi admitting he knows exactly what beating England meant to the people of Argentina.
“Because that’s just how we Argentinians are. We always want more, we always ask for more. I honestly think that if we had lost to England, there would still have been people coming out and saying stupid things, but we didn’t give them that chance,” Messi told Tyc Sports.
“Fortunately, we won. We got through that match as well, and we knew what it meant. We knew that, football-wise, we were better than them.
“But when you play a match of that magnitude, so many things come into play. History weighs on a game like that. I’m not trying to turn it into anything beyond a football match, but it remains special because of everything it represents. And we had to win it.”
Argentina could face punishment from FIFA after displaying a banner regarding the Falkland Islands after the full-time whistle.
The game had an edge to it from the very first seconds, with Argentina left with the bragging rights following their victory on the pitch.
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