Lionel Messi: Argentina didn’t give people a chance to talk crap with England win

Lionel Messi said Argentina denied their critics the opportunity to “talk crap” after the defending champions came from behind to beat England 2-1 and book their place in a second successive FIFA World Cup final.

Speaking after the dramatic semi-final victory in Atlanta on Wednesday, Messi admitted there would have been plenty of criticism had Argentina fallen to England, but insisted the team responded in the best possible way by securing another famous win.

“That’s just how we Argentines are. We always want more, we always ask for more,” Messi said in an interview with TYC Sports after the game.

“I think if we had lost to England today, there would have been people who would’ve come out and talked crap. We didn’t give them that chance.”

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Argentina looked on course for elimination after Anthony Gordon fired England into the lead in the second half, but Lionel Scaloni’s side once again showcased the resilience that has become the hallmark of their recent success.

Enzo Fernandez restored parity before Lautaro Martinez completed the comeback seven minutes later, with Messi providing both assists as Argentina moved within one win of retaining the World Cup.

Messi said the significance of facing England made the victory even sweeter, insisting Argentina always believed they were the superior footballing side despite the occasion carrying added emotional weight.

“We were fortunate to win and get through, especially because of what this match meant,” Messi said.

“We knew that, football-wise, we were better than them.”

The Argentina captain acknowledged that meetings between the two nations carry historical significance beyond football but stressed that once the game begins, the focus remains on the sport itself.

“A lot of things are at stake when it’s a match of this magnitude,” Messi said.

“History becomes part of it. Not that you bring history onto a football pitch, but it still makes it special because of everything it represents.”

Messi added that Argentina understood the importance of delivering on one of football’s biggest stages.

“We had to win it,” he said.

The victory sends Argentina into a second consecutive World Cup final, where they will face Spain as Lionel Scaloni’s side bids to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup title.

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