Lionel Messi has answered, once again, the question of whether age and fatigue might finally catch up with him on football's biggest stage. In a bruising World Cup semifinal against England on Wednesday night in Atlanta, the Argentine talisman set up both of his team's late goals as the defending champions clawed back from a goal down to win 2-1, booking their place in Sunday's final against Spain.

For long stretches of the match, Messi looked a peripheral figure. England had led since the 55th minute through Anthony Gordon and appeared on course for their first World Cup final since 1966, with Argentina struggling to find rhythm against a deep, disciplined English defence. But as the clock wound down, the 39-year-old forward found the gear that has defined his career, delivering the cross that Enzo FernΓ‘ndez turned into a stunning equaliser in the 85th minute, then setting up substitute Lautaro MartΓ­nez for the winner deep into stoppage time.

The two goals arrived within six minutes and 24 seconds of each other, capping a chaotic, physical contest that had begun with little football and plenty of niggling fouls. Both England and Argentina failed to register a shot in the first 30 minutes, an unusually cagey opening before the match burst into life in the second half.

Sunday's final now pits Argentina against a rampant Spanish side led by teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, with Messi and his teammates hoping to become the first nation to defend a World Cup title in nearly 70 years. Should they succeed, it would place this Argentina squad alongside the legendary Brazilian teams of 1958 and 1962 β€” the last side to win consecutive titles.

For Messi personally, the semifinal added another remarkable line to an already historic tournament rΓ©sumΓ©. His assist tally now stands as an all-time World Cup record, further cementing a legacy that already includes multiple Ballon d'Or awards and a maiden World Cup triumph in 2022. Yet what stood out most on the night was not statistics but timing β€” the sense, again, that when Argentina need him most, Messi finds a way to deliver.

Manager Lionel Scaloni's tactical adjustments also played a role, with fresh legs introduced late in the game helping tilt momentum decisively in Argentina's favour after England had dropped into a defensive shell to protect their lead.

Sunday's final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will not only decide the sport's biggest prize but could also mark a symbolic changing of the guard, with Messi and 19-year-old Yamal representing two different eras of the game on the same pitch. Whatever the outcome, Wednesday's performance made one thing clear: Messi's story at football's grandest stage is not yet finished being written.