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Lionel Messi's inexhaustible talent, the strength of the squad, the guiding hand of Lionel Scaloni, and limitless resilience. The mix of these ingredients led Argentina to the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup, even though the "outlook was looking ugly, really ugly."
Below are four keys to the survival of the world champions, who will face England on Wednesday in Atlanta for a spot in the North America 2026 final:
1. Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini
The Number 10 has walked for more than 60% of the matches in what is, according to him, his sixth and final World Cup, according to data from The Athletic.
At 39 years old, he hasn't needed to run like crazy. With his sometimes leisurely pace, he has scored eight goals and leads the top scorers' table alongside France's Kylian Mbappé.
He no longer has the explosiveness of before, but his vision and finishing remain intact.
Messi has scored against every opponent he has faced in North America 2026, except for Switzerland in the quarterfinals. But against 'la Nati' he took the corner kick with which Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring in a 3-1 victory achieved in extra time.
With his goals, he reached 21 and surpassed Germany's Miroslav Klose (16) as the historical top scorer of the World Cups.
"As long as he wants to, he will be the best," Scaloni praised.
2. Plantel potente
Argentina arrived at the tournament with some doubts and a heavy reliance on Messi.
Although they dominated the South American qualifiers, they have not faced European powerhouses since the Qatar 2022 final, when they defeated France on penalties. England will be the first.
In their preparatory matches, they faced lower-level teams such as Angola, Puerto Rico, Mauritania, Honduras, and Zambia, and in some cases, they showed a worrying footballing performance.
"A month and a half ago the outlook was looking ugly, really ugly, and today we can say that we are in the semifinals and it is only thanks to the players," highlighted Scaloni after beating the Swiss.
In the victories against Egypt (3-2) and Switzerland, players who had gone unnoticed stepped up and gave a breather to the burden that Messi carries.
Enzo Fernández buried the Pharaohs in the round of 16, and Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez, with a goal each, were decisive for the first time to knock out the Swiss.
Now "the goalscorers who weren't there before are appearing," the coach highlighted.
3. La mano de Scaloni
Reaching the semifinals is closely related to a decision Scaloni made when the outlook, before the tournament, "was looking ugly, really ugly."
The 48-year-old manager thought about calling up new players for the World Cup instead of some of the world champions.
But in the end, he kept the core that won the third star: he called up 17 of the 26 players who were in Qatar.
"I had thought about changing several of them, and today they have proven me right, beyond the fact that we are stretched thin, because that is the reality," the coach revealed after securing the pass to the semifinals.
In charge after the 2018 Russia World Cup, Scaloni formed his technical staff with beloved former players of 'la Albiceleste', such as Roberto Ayala, Pablo Aimar, and Walter Samuel.
They set out to recover the Argentine DNA: a solid midfield with good ball control, grit, and freedom to create up front.
Since the coach took over, Argentina has qualified for at least the semifinals in all five tournaments they have played, and won the 2022 World Cup and the 2021 and 2024 Copa América.
"We don't have the potion as to why, but without the players we have, it's difficult in the end," he said, although he issued a warning: "It is evident that we have to improve."
4. Resiliencia pura
After a perfect record of wins in the first round, Argentina struggled to win in the knockout stages.
They defeated tournament debutants Cape Verde (3-2) and Switzerland in extra time, while they came from behind in extremis against Egypt after trailing 2-0 and having a penalty missed by Messi when the game was 1-0.
Not just any team recovers from so many adversities. But the inner strength and mentality of the squad have surprised even the players themselves.
"This group has gotten people used to things that aren't normal," said Messi after qualifying for the semifinals.
[Publicidad]