Egypt Argentina WCup Soccer
Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) celebrates scoring their second goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
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It’s England vs. Argentina at the World Cup. It’s also Lionel Messi vs. Jude Bellingham. The battle of the two No. 10s could be pivotal to deciding Wednesday’s semifinal in Atlanta. “We know how good Messi is,” England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford said of the Argentina great, whose enduring brilliance has been on show again even at the age of 39. Messi and Bellingham have been inspirational in their teams’ respective runs to the final four. And Wednesday’s match may well be determined by which one has the biggest say on the day.
Defending champion Argentina rallied to beat England 2-1 and reach the World Cup final. Trailing 1-0 going into the last five minutes of regulation time, Enzo Fernandez and substitute Lautaro Martinez scored for Argentina. Anthony Gordon had given England the lead, but Lionel Messi and Co. had other ideas. Argentina pushed for an equalizer and the pressure eventually led to Fernandez scoring in the 85th minute. Martinez headed in the winner two minutes into injury time. Argentina will play Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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