Messi, Argentina & the last-minute magic: They stop your heart, then restart it

Argentina's opponents have learnt one lesson the hard way at the FIFA World Cup 2026, and that is the match is never over until the final whistle, especially when Lionel Messi is on the pitch.

Argentina's dramatic 2-1 comeback against England in the FIFA World Cup semi-final was not an isolated escape. Instead, it was the latest chapter in a tournament where Messi and Argentina have repeatedly found a way to strike when rivals thought the job was done. The defending champions will now face Spain in the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday after building a reputation for producing decisive moments when the pressure is at its highest.

Also Read: England tried to protect a late lead at World Cup but Messi and Argentina broke through to win


For Argentina, the final minutes have become their biggest strength. For Messi, they have become another stage to remind the football world why he continues to define the biggest matches.

Messi and Argentina keep delivering when time runs out

Argentina have scored an astonishing 11 goals from the 79th minute onwards during the FIFA World Cup 2026, underlining their ability to overwhelm opponents late in games.

That trend continued against England. Trailing 1-0 deep into the second half, Argentina looked on course for elimination before Messi produced two assists. Enzo Fernandez equalised in the 85th minute before Lautaro Martinez headed home in stoppage time to complete another memorable Argentina comeback and book a FIFA World Cup final against Spain.

The latest escape only strengthened a pattern that has followed Argentina throughout the FIFA World Cup.

Also Read: Messi rewrites FIFA World Cup history even without scoring a goal in semi-final against England

FIFA World Cup group stage gave early warning of Messi's late influence

Argentina first showed their habit of finishing strongly during the group stage.

Against Austria on June 22, Argentina were already leading 1-0 in second-half stoppage time. In the fifth minute of added time, Messi reacted quickest after collecting his own rebound and fired the ball through three defenders to seal a 2-0 victory.

Five days later, Argentina again relied on Messi late in the game against Jordan. Having come on as a substitute, Messi stepped up for a free-kick in the 80th minute. Spotting a gap in Jordan's defensive wall, the Argentina captain drove a low effort into the net from around 25 yards to wrap up a 3-1 win and complete another successful FIFA World Cup night.

FIFA World Cup knockout games became Argentina's theatre of comebacks

If the group stage hinted at Argentina's resilience, the knockout rounds turned it into one of the defining stories of the FIFA World Cup.

Argentina survived a major scare against Cape Verde on July 3. Lisandro Martinez scored in the 92nd minute to give Argentina a 2-1 advantage during extra time after the score was 1-1 in 90 minutes regulation time. Cape Verde scored again in 103 minutes and the score was 2-2. However, Messi delivered a perfectly placed corner in the 111th minute that resulted in an own goal. Argentina eventually secured a dramatic 3-2 victory to move into the next round.

Only days later came arguably the biggest comeback of the FIFA World Cup.

Argentina trailed Egypt 2-0 with just 11 minutes remaining in the Round of 16. Cristian Romero began the fightback in the 79th minute before Messi pulled Argentina level four minutes later. Enzo Fernandez then completed the extraordinary turnaround in the second minute of stoppage time as Argentina snatched a stunning 3-2 victory.

The comeback reinforced Argentina's growing reputation for producing football's biggest moments when elimination appeared inevitable.

Messi's Argentina refused to stop against Switzerland and England

Argentina's quarter-final against Switzerland followed a similar script.

Switzerland had been reduced to 10 players but still forced Argentina into extra time. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 112th minute when Julian Alvarez found the net. Lautaro Martinez added another goal in the first minute of added time at the end of extra time as Argentina secured a 3-1 victory and another place in the next round of the FIFA World Cup.

Then came England.

With Thomas Tuchel's side leading until the closing stages, Argentina again refused to surrender. Messi created both goals, first setting up Fernandez in the 85th minute before producing another superb delivery in stoppage time for Lautaro Martinez to head home the winner.

Those assists not only carried Argentina into another FIFA World Cup final but also added to Messi's remarkable tournament, where his influence has stretched far beyond goals.

Now Argentina head into the FIFA World Cup final against Spain carrying momentum that few teams have matched. Their repeated ability to score late has become the defining feature of their campaign, while Messi has once again been at the heart of nearly every decisive moment.

For every opponent, the warning is now unmistakable. Against Messi and Argentina at the FIFA World Cup, the scoreboard means very little until the referee blows for full time.