Lionel Messi set up both of Argentina’s goals in their stunning 2-1 comeback win over England in the World Cup semifinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Wednesday night and in doing so, extended his extraordinary run of scoring or assisting in consecutive matches for club and country to 13 games. It is the second-longest such streak of his entire career, surpassed only by a run of 14 consecutive matches he produced back in 2011, which is widely considered the greatest year any footballer has ever had.Both Argentina goals came from Messi’s creation. Enzo Fernández scored first in the 85th minute, a stunning long-range effort after Messi had played a key role in the buildup. Then, in the second minute of stoppage time, with England hearts breaking across the world, Messi whipped a precise cross to the far post and Lautaro Martínez headed home to send Argentina into the World Cup final.The assists also took Messi to 10 assists in the World Cup knockout stage — at least six more than any other player in at least the last 60 years. He now leads the Golden Boot assists chart with one more than Kylian Mbappé, with both players having scored eight goals in this tournament.In 2011, Messi’s 14-game streak came during a Barcelona side that was rewriting the records of club football. Now, 15 years later, he is doing something eerily similar on the international stage, at a World Cup, in the knockout rounds, at the age of 39.The final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey is Argentina versus Spain. It is defending champions against European champions. It is the greatest player in the history of football against the most dominant team of this tournament.And Messi, 13 consecutive games with a goal involvement and counting, arrives at the final in the form of his life.
