If Argentina’s run to the final can be described with one fact, it’s this one— La Albiceleste has not led going into the 90th minute in any of its knockout stage matches.
With two comeback wins and two extra-time victories, Argentina’s run to the World Cup final has been unlike anything seen before. Four of its last seven World Cup knockout stage matches have gone to extra-time, with two coming this tournament.
Lionel Messi & Co. will face Spain on Sunday at 3 p.m. EST at New York New Jersey Stadium on FOX.
This matchup will be the first time the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams in FIFA’s rankings have met in the final (since rankings were introduced in 1992).
It will also be the first ever World Cup final between the reigning European champions, and the reigning Copa América champions.
So how did Argentina get here? Just how improbable has its World Cup run been? Let’s dive in.
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Behind Lionel Messi’s first career World Cup hat trick, Argentina cruised to a 3-0 win over Algeria in its opener.
- Messi recorded his first hat trick at a World Cup, and the fifth ever hat trick for Argentina at a World Cup.
- Messi became the oldest player ever to record a hat trick in a World Cup match at 38 years, 357 days old; he passed Cristiano Ronaldo, who held the record, who scored a hat trick vs. Spain in 2018 at 33 years old.
- Messi became the second man to score in five different World Cups, joining Cristiano Ronaldo.
- Messi now holds the record as Argentina’s youngest and oldest goalscorer at a World Cup (he scored at 18 years old in 2006, and scored at 38 years vs. Algeria).
After lacking a penalty kick early within the match, Messi redeemed himself with two extra targets in Argentina’s 2-0 win towards Austria to clinch Group J.
- Lionel Messi scored two goals to become the first man or woman to reach 18 career goals at the World Cup.
- After this match, Messi became the second player ever to score four or more goals in three different men’s World Cups (Miroslav Klose).
Having already clinched Group J, Argentina combined up the lineup with a number of new starters within the group finale vs. Jordan. Giovani Lo Celso scored the primary non-Messi objective for Argentina this summer time, whereas Lautaro Martínez added one other. Then, after approaching by way of a substitution, Messi’s brilliance was on full show as soon as once more as he scored a lovely free-kick objective for his sixth objective of the group stage.
- Argentina scored two free kicks in this game, putting their total to five since tracked in 1966; that is tied for the second-most with South Korea at five, and only trails Brazil (12).
- Messi scored his lone goal on a free kick, giving him two direct free-kick goals in his World Cup career, the sixth player to reach that mark since 1966 (Pelé, Rivellino, Téofilo Cubillas, Bernard Genghini, David Beckham).
- Lionel Messi extended his record for the most World Cup goals by a man or woman ever (19).
- Messi set the record for the most consecutive World Cup games with a goal at seven.
Argentina accomplished one of many greatest comebacks in World Cup historical past towards Egypt within the Round of 16 (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images).
In the Round of 32, Argentina barely survived what would have been one of many greatest upsets in World Cup historical past. Cape Verde, a rustic with a inhabitants of roughly 529,000 individuals, took the defending World Cup champions to further time.
After Messi’s twenty ninth minute objective put Argentina in entrance, Cape Verde answered within the 59th minute to power extras. Then, after Argentina took the lead as soon as once more within the 92nd minute, Sidny Lopes Cabral scored the objective of the event to degree the rating as soon as once more for the Blue Sharks. As penalties loomed, a Cape Verde personal objective offered the game-winning objective that despatched Argentina by means of.
If Cape Verde had superior, it will have been the most important upset in a knockout stage match by FIFA rankings in World Cup historical past; Cape Verde was ranked 67th, whereas Argentina was ranked first (distinction of 66 spots).
- Argentina scored two or more goals in 10 straight World Cup games, the longest such streak since West Germany scored in nine straight from 1966-1970.
- Lionel Messi became the first man or woman to score 20 career goals at the World Cup
- Vozinha finished the World Cup with two clean sheets, becoming the third goalkeeper in World Cup history to record two clean sheets at age 40 or older (Peter Shilton, Dino Zoff).
For almost 80 minutes, it seemed just like the defending champions have been heading dwelling.
Argentina trailed Egypt 2-0 getting into the 79th minute of its Round of 16 match earlier than scoring three targets in a shocking 13-minute span to finish one of many biggest comebacks in World Cup historical past.
Egypt took the lead within the fifteenth minute, marking the primary time Argentina had trailed in a World Cup match since its opening recreation of the 2022 event towards Saudi Arabia. The Pharaohs then doubled their lead within the 67th minute, leaving Argentina on the point of elimination.
Then the whole lot modified. Cristian Romero sparked the comeback within the 79th minute, changing a Messi help to chop the deficit to 2-1. Just 4 minutes later, Messi discovered the equalizer himself. Then, in stoppage time, Enzo Fernández accomplished the miracle, scoring within the 92nd minute to seal an unbelievable 3-2 victory.
- According to Opta’s win probability model, Argentina’s chances of winning the match in regulation were 0.6% entering the 78th minute— just moments before Romero made it 2-1.
- This was the first time ever that Argentina came back from a two-goal deficit to win a match at the World Cup.
- Argentina became the first team to win a World Cup match in regular time after still trailing by two goals in the 78th minute, and just the second overall after Belgium against Senegal earlier in this tournament.
- Messi scored and assisted in this match, the fifth time he’s done that in a World Cup match; no other player has more than three such matches since assists were first tracked in 1966.
- Messi became the first player in World Cup history to score in six consecutive knockout stage matches.
- Messi became the first and only player to register an assist in six different World Cups.
In the quarterfinals, after an early objective from Alexis Mac Allister within the tenth minute, La Albiceleste seemed prefer it was cruising to a straightforward win. Then, Switzerland’s Dan Ndoye equalized within the 67th minute. However, simply when all of the momentum shifted to Switzerland, Breel Embolo was despatched off moments later after selecting up his second yellow card.
The match was tied 1-1 by means of 111 minutes, till Julián Alvarez scored probably the greatest targets of the event to present Argentina the lead. Lautaro Martínez would scored a 3rd within the one hundred and twentieth (+1), placing the nail within the coffin.
- Argentina reached consecutive World Cup semifinals for the second time ever, last doing so in 1986 and 1990.
- Four of Julián Alvarez’s five career World Cup goals have been scored in the knockout rounds, tied with Diego Maradona for the second-most by an Argentinian player behind only Lionel Messi (seven).
- Embolo became the fourth player since 1966 to receive a yellow card for simulation (Francesco Totti in 2002, Luis Pérez in 2006, Asamoah Gyan in 2006).
After giving up a objective within the fifty fifth minute, Argentina as soon as once more discovered itself trailing. But with 5 minutes left in regulation, Messi saved the day as soon as once more— discovering Enzo Fernández for the equalizing objective. Seven minutes later, he discovered Martínez for the game-winner.
- According to Opta’s win probability model, Argentina had only a 1.3% chance of winning the game within 90 minutes in the 84th minute, immediately before Fernández scored.
- With goals in the 85th and 90th (+2) minutes in this match, Argentina has now scored eight goals after the 85th minute (including extra time) in this World Cup— a record for a national team in a single edition in the tournament’s history.
- Argentina made its seventh World Cup final, which ties Brazil for second-most all-time (Germany has made eight).
- Argentina became the first team since Brazil in 1998 to enter the World Cup ranked No. 1 in the FIFA rankings and then make the final.
- Argentina has won a team-record 14 straight games, is unbeaten in a team-record 13 straight World Cup games (11 wins) and has won seven straight World Cup matches for the first time.
- Argentina has now recorded multiple goals in 13 straight World Cup games, extending its own record; La Albiceleste also became the only team to score at least two goals in all seven matches at this World Cup.
- Lionel Messi had two assists in this match; he has now scored or assisted in 11 straight World Cup matches, the longest streak on record (since 1966).