- Home >
- Soccer >
- FIFA World Cup >
- Lionel Messi and Argentina Make History by Reaching Another FIFA World Cup Final
Lionel Messi and Argentina Make History by Reaching Another FIFA World Cup Final
Lionel Messi and Argentina continue rewriting football history after defeating England to reach a second straight FIFA World Cup Final, setting up a blockbuster clash with Spain.
Argentina and Lionel Messi added another unforgettable chapter to their legendary legacy on Wednesday by securing a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final.
After defeating archrival England in the semifinals, La Albiceleste advanced to its second consecutive World Cup final, cementing both the national team's and Messi's place among football's all-time greats.
Why Argentina and Lionel Messi's Achievement Is Historic
Argentina will become just the eighth team—and seventh nation—to reach consecutive FIFA World Cup finals.
Brazil and Germany remain the only countries to accomplish the feat on three separate occasions, while Italy, the Netherlands, and France have each reached back-to-back finals twice.
Argentina now joins Brazil as the only nations to achieve consecutive World Cup final appearances during two different eras. The first came under Diego Maradona, who led Argentina to the finals of Mexico 1986 and Italy 1990. The second belongs to Lionel Messi, who has guided the Albiceleste to the finals of Qatar 2022 and United States, Canada and Mexico 2026.
Messi Set to Join an Exclusive Club
If he takes the field in the final, Messi will become only the second player in football history to appear in three FIFA World Cup finals.
The only player to accomplish that feat is legendary Brazilian right-back Cafu, who featured in the finals of USA 1994, France 1998, and Korea/Japan 2002.
Messi previously played in the 2014 World Cup Final against Germany and captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar. He lifted the trophy once, while Cafu won two World Cups, in 1994 and 2002.
Should Messi be unavailable for the final, he would remain alongside Pelé, Ronaldo Nazário, Pierre Littbarski, and Lothar Matthäus—players who reached two World Cup finals and were part of squads that advanced to a third, but did not officially play in all three championship matches after remaining on the bench in one of them.
