NEW DELHI: Emotions ran high as Argentina booked their place in the FIFA World Cup Final 2026 with a 2-1 victory over England in the semi-final at the Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta on Wednesday. Lionel Messi he did not add to his tournament goal tally, but the 39-year-old played a decisive role by providing the assist for both late goals as Argentina overturned a one-goal deficit to set up a title clash with Spain.After the victory, Messi paid an emotional tribute to the Argentine legend Diego Maradona.Speaking to TyC Sports, Messi dedicated the win to Maradona, who famously inspired Argentina to a memorable World Cup win over England 40 years ago.“Without a doubt, Diego enjoys this immense from above because today was a very special day for him; to be able to give this joy and for him to experience as he wants from above. Let him enjoy it because it’s also a gift for him,” said Messi.The win came exactly four decades after Maradona produced one of the greatest individual performances in World Cup history against England in the 1986 quarter-finals, scoring the famous ‘Hand of God’ goal and the ‘Goal of the Century’.Forty years later, Messi added another memorable chapter to the rivalry by scoring both goals in Argentina’s comeback victory.Messi also spoke about the atmosphere before the match, saying that the emotions in the stadium were difficult to control.“During the anthems, something special happened because we started to hear the murmur of the crowd. People sang them in a special way, and we took each other. Even though we knew it was a football match, sometimes it’s difficult to control your emotions. We experienced like that, and we played like that,” said Messi.For years, Messi played under the shadow of Maradona, who led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title, including the unforgettable victory over England.Now, Messi has created another historic moment of his own by inspiring Argentina to another World Cup final. Argentina will face Spain in Sunday’s final, where they will aim to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup title.