Lionel Messi could not stop crying. After Argentina came back from 2-0 down to reach the World Cup quarter-finals, the tears came not just from relief at escaping defeat against Egypt, but from the knowledge he hadn't let his team-mates down after missing a penalty that, for a while, threatened to end their tournament. It was the second time he had cried in this World Cup – the first came after he heard of a complication with his father's health following the opening match. Now, as Argentina prepare to face England in the semi-finals in Atlanta, those emotions are tangled together: relief, pressure, family, the crowd, team-mates who love him and want, more than anything, to see him win again.
At 39, this may be Messi's last World Cup, but he has found the perfect context – a football team built to his measure. Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni put it best before the Switzerland quarter-final: "The best moments of all, by far, are celebrations of the group. I coach for this, not because I like a 4-3-3. I like drinking mate with my friends and players, sharing a barbecue, playing truco, as we have always done." It could have been Messi speaking. He has rediscovered under Scaloni the pleasure of competing alongside people who think like him, surrounded by mates and mate. Rodrigo de Paul has become the team-mate with whom Messi instantly feels at home – their bond forged on international duty after De Paul noticed Messi leave training alone, looking subdued.
“Messi cried twice at World Cup 2026; Ronaldo's 'Too good' final fantasy backfired; England get selection boost for semi.”
While Messi's Argentina march on, Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal are long gone. Ronaldo and Messi did not get to face off at this World Cup – and since this is likely their last, Ronaldo's comment about duelling with Messi continues to age like milk. During his explosive 2022 sit-down with Piers Morgan, Morgan put a tantalising hypothetical to Ronaldo: "You get to the final, Portugal v Argentina. You score two, Messi scores two. Last minute, you score a third for your hat-trick. Is that the dream?" Ronaldo beamed: "Too good." But that sequence will remain nothing more than a fantasy. Portugal crashed out against Spain in the round of 16, with Ronaldo netting three goals across his sixth World Cup appearance but failing to steer them beyond the last 16.
Standing in Argentina's way is England, who have been handed a major selection boost ahead of the semi-final, according to reports – good news for manager Thomas Tuchel as the Three Lions prepare for the massive last-four clash. Either France or Spain await in the final, but for now, all eyes are on Atlanta, where Messi's quest for a second successive World Cup continues.