Argentina returned to the World Cup final after a dramatic 2-1 comeback against England in Wednesday’s semifinal. The defending champions trailed 1-0 late before midfielder Enzo Fernández equalized in the 86th minute, and Lautaro Martínez headed home seven minutes later in additional time to secure the victory.
The win followed another late rally for Argentina, which required a comeback to beat Egypt in the round of 16. Only four other teams have recorded multiple comeback wins in the same World Cup knockout stage, underscoring the rarity of Argentina’s achievement.
Argentina will face Spain in the World Cup final Sunday with a chance to become the first nation to repeat as champions since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. The semifinal outcome stunned social media and prompted widespread reaction across the sports world.
Responses on social media were led by two prominent NFL quarterbacks. Kansas City Chiefs signal caller Patrick Mahomes referred to Lionel Messi as the GOAT, while Tom Brady offered a brief response to the result. The two veterans topped many of the public reactions that followed the match.
Other figures also weighed in on the game and Messi’s performance. New York Knicks guard Josh Hart tweeted that Messi is better than his longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo, adding to the volume of commentary surrounding Argentina’s comeback and advancement to the final.
