Argentina is in the World Cup final, and get this: La Albiceleste has not led going into the 90th minute in any of its knockout stage matches. Seriously. With two comeback wins and two extra-time victories, Argentina’s journey to the final has been unlike anything seen before. Four of their last seven World Cup knockout stage matches have gone to extra time, with two coming this very tournament.
Messi Magic Kicks Off the Tournament
The group stage almost felt like a different team was playing, driven by pure Lionel Messi brilliance. Messi dropped his first career World Cup hat trick as Argentina cruised to a 3-0 win over Algeria in their opener. He then redeemed himself after missing a penalty kick to bag two more goals in a 2-0 win against Austria, clinching Group J. In the group finale against Jordan, Argentina mixed up the lineup, and we saw Giovani Lo Celso score the first non-Messi goal of the summer for the squad, with Lautaro Martínez adding another. But of course, Messi wasn’t done, coming on as a sub to score a beautiful free-kick goal, his sixth of the group stage. Total domination, right? Well, that was the easy part.
Knockout Stage Nerves of Steel
Then came the Round of 32, and Argentina barely survived what could have been one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. Cape Verde, a country with a population of only around 529,000, took the defending World Cup champions to extra time. Messi put Argentina up in the 29th minute, but Cape Verde answered in the 59th. After Argentina took the lead again in the 92nd, Sidny Lopes Cabral scored what’s being called the goal of the tournament to level the score again for the Blue Sharks. As penalties loomed, a Cape Verde own goal gave Argentina the game-winning goal and sent them through. If Cape Verde had advanced, it would have been the largest upset in a knockout stage match by FIFA rankings, with a 66-spot difference between the 67th ranked Cape Verde and top-ranked Argentina.
The drama didn’t stop there. For nearly 80 minutes in the Round of 16, it looked like the defending champions were heading home. Argentina trailed Egypt 2-0 entering the 79th minute before scoring three goals in a stunning 13-minute span to complete one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history. Egypt had taken the lead in the 15th minute, marking the first time Argentina had trailed in a World Cup match since their opening game. What a ride.
The Showdown is Set
So here we are, after all that craziness. Lionel Messi & Co. will face Spain on Sunday at 3 p.m. EST at New York New Jersey Stadium on FOX. This matchup is absolutely historic, marking the first time the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams in FIFA’s rankings have met in the final since the rankings were introduced in 1992. It’s also the first ever World Cup final between the reigning European champions and the reigning Copa América champions. Get ready, because this one is going to be epic.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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