Argentina's Epic Comeback: Messi and Lautaro Lead the Charge

Forty years after the “Hand of God”, England relived another Argentine torment. Different era, different stadium, same sting. This time it was not Diego, but the ruthless blend of Leo and Lautaro that flipped the script and hurled Argentina into a final against Spain.

England struck first through Anthony Gordon, a goal that seemed to tilt the night in their favour and briefly silence the Albiceleste. Argentina looked cornered. They have been here before, though. This team lives on the edge, and once again it refused to fall.

Lionel Messi, still the conductor of every Argentine heartbeat, dragged his side back into the match. When the clock began to suffocate, he found Enzo Fernández in the 85th minute with the kind of pass that slices doubt in half. Fernández did the rest. Level at 1-1, the game flipped. England staggered. Argentina smelled blood.

The pressure finally told. Messi, again, slipped into that familiar role of executioner disguised as creator. Another assist, another incision, this time for Lautaro Martínez. El Toro rose to meet the moment, his header deciding a 2-1 comeback that will live long in Argentine folklore. The Inter forward wheeled away and then broke down in tears – the release of a man carrying both a nation’s expectations and his own redemption arc.

For England, it was a brutal twist. For Argentina, it was confirmation: this generation still knows how to suffer, still knows how to win when the ground seems to be crumbling beneath them.

On Sunday, at East Rutherford, the world champions will stare down the champions of Europe. Spain, drilled and assured under Luis de la Fuente, are not blinking. Their system is polished, their lessons learned over years of refinement, and nothing about this Argentina side scares them publicly. Quietly, though, they will know what everyone else does: when Messi starts threading passes and Lautaro smells a chance, tactics can dissolve in an instant.

Italy watches all this with its own storm brewing. At the top of the federation, Paolo Maldini has made his choice: he wants Andrea Pirlo as the future national team coach. The decision now sits in the hands of Giovanni Malagò, with Serie A circles raising doubts and questions about timing, direction, and control. The debate over the Azzurri’s bench is only just beginning.

Back in Milan, Christian Pulisic is stirring the waters. His presence and form are agitating the internal balance at Milan, pushing the club towards decisions on roles, hierarchy, and the next transfer moves. Elsewhere in the city, Inter move with their usual stealth: a blitz for Djed Spence and Romero, another attempt to refresh a squad that keeps delivering on the biggest nights.

Juventus, meanwhile, are counting every euro. The club is working to free up the money for Lucumí and exploring a discounted deal for Franck Kessié, while talks with the midfielder’s agent continue around a 4.5 million salary offer. The market board in Turin is crowded: an agreement for Parma’s young striker edges closer, and the goalkeeping puzzle remains unsolved. Dibu Martínez stays the first choice, but Aston Villa’s iron stance has sparked a serious look at Guglielmo Vicario, the Italian wall at Tottenham.

Inside the Juventus orbit, opinions fly. Fabrizio Ravanelli has made his stance clear: “Sign Emegha, enough of Vlahovic!” The message to the club is blunt, the impatience of the old guard mirroring that of the fans who want a sharper, more ruthless attack. Even Rasmus Højlund, now at Manchester United, has been linked emotionally back to Italy, with talk of his bond with Massimiliano Allegri and what might have been.

Around Turin, tension is not confined to Juventus. At Torino, the fans’ anger has exploded. Frustration over the club’s direction, the market strategy and the constant feeling of being stuck in mid-table limbo has boiled over. The Granata faithful demand more ambition, more clarity, more fight.

Across the country, another name is starting to tempt a giant. Nicolò Zaniolo, still searching for the right stage to relaunch his career, has turned Milan’s head. For a club juggling Pulisic’s influence and the need for fresh attacking ideas, Zaniolo represents both risk and tantalising upside.

And above it all, France wait. Not for a player, but for a symbol. Zinedine Zidane remains the dream, the figurehead they want on the bench when the next cycle begins. Until that decision comes, Les Bleus hover in a strange holding pattern, powerful yet incomplete.

On Sunday, though, all eyes will be on East Rutherford. Messi and Lautaro, Spain’s machine, a world title to defend against a European champion unafraid of the moment. Argentina have already delivered another epic comeback. The question now is simple: do they have one last masterpiece left in them?