Even at 39, Lionel Messi’s footballing magic has not dimmed in the slightest. His leadership, sharpness and ability to change the course of a match on the pitch are as effective as ever. Beating England, Argentina have reached the World Cup final for a second successive time, and one of the heroes of that success was Messi. After his brilliant performance, England captain Harry Kane frankly admitted that Messi is one of the greatest footballers of all time.
In the second semifinal at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Messi led Argentina’s attack from the start. Argentina trailed 1-0 until the 84th minute. But in the closing moments, two outstanding assists from the experienced forward changed the entire picture. From chances he created, Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez scored.
After the match, even amid the disappointment of defeat in the mixed zone, England captain Harry Kane did not hold back his praise for Messi. “This is what happens with the world’s most dangerous players,” he said. “When they get the ball in the final third [the area near the opponent’s penalty box], they can produce magic at any moment. Messi did that again today. Undoubtedly he is one of the greatest players of all time. There are plenty of reasons for that.”
In the first half, both sides were quite defensive. Midfield battles, physical duels and fouls dominated over attack, and Argentina and England went to the break goalless.
In the 55th minute of the second half, England went ahead through Anthony Gordon’s goal. They held that lead for a long time, but late on, under Messi’s outstanding leadership, Argentina came back into the match. In the 85th minute, Enzo Fernandez equalised from his precise pass. Then, in the second minute of stoppage time, Lautaro Martinez headed home the winner from Messi’s fine cross.
Having come so close to victory, England ultimately had to accept defeat. Taking advantage of some defensive errors, Argentina made the match their own. And at the centre of that dramatic comeback was Messi. Though 39, his influence, creativity and match-deciding role again proved that on football’s biggest stage he remains just as relevant and dangerous.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report