Messi shrugs off Bellingham then inspires Argentina's stoppage-time comeback to reach World Cup final

Lionel Messi turned a heated exchange with Jude Bellingham into fuel, setting up Enzo Fernández’s 85th-minute equaliser and Lautaro Martínez’s stoppage-time winner as Argentina came from behind to beat England 2-1 in a fractious 2026 World Cup semifinal on Wednesday.

Anthony Gordon had given England the lead in the 55th minute, and the match grew increasingly physical — the first half alone produced 19 combined fouls — before Argentina’s captain orchestrated the comeback that sends his side to Sunday’s final against Spain.

The flashpoint that will define the match’s legacy came when Messi and Bellingham traded words following a stoppage. Bellingham walked away smirking; Messi shrugged him off and refocused his team. After the final whistle, the tension boiled over further when Bellingham slapped Argentina midfielder Valentín Barco in the back of the head as several England players confronted their opponents on the pitch.

Bellingham later sought to play down his confrontation with Messi. “We were discussing a foul actually,” he said. “It was nothing bad. I’m sure everyone will do their thing and make it a big deal out of it. But it was nothing big really. I thought there was a foul earlier and he said: ‘What about the one on me?’ I said: ‘You’re strong enough to take it.’” The Real Madrid midfielder also acknowledged the magnitude of facing the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. “It was a privilege to play against him — I’m obviously on the losing side which hurts a lot, but a privilege to line up against one of the best.”

Messi’s tournament numbers are extraordinary: eight goals — level with Kylian Mbappé for the most in the competition — and four assists, including a hat-trick against Algeria and a brace against Austria in the group stage. Bellingham, despite the defeat, has been England’s standout performer with six goals, including braces against Mexico and Norway.

With Argentina’s teammates hoisting their captain into the air at the final whistle as the supporters sang in the stands, the image captured something beyond the scoreline — a 37-year-old icon, unbothered by the noise around him, steering his country toward a second consecutive World Cup title.

England will face France in the third-place match on Saturday.