Lionel Messi and Argentina are inevitable.

Down 1-0 through the first 70 minutes of the semifinal against England and looking rather lifeless, Argentina did it again, flipping the switch, all led by none other than Messi.

After plenty of possession and chances, Enzo Fernández started the comeback with a world-class strike in the 85th minute off a Messi setup, and the all-out pressure only continued from there. It culminated in a Lautaro Martínez header in the 93rd minute after a brilliant run and cross from Messi.

That was all Argentina needed to punch its ticket to the World Cup final against Spain, giving itself the opportunity to defend its title.

CBS Sports analyst Micah Richards summed things up best after the game:

“Argentina have the GOAT. The Greatest of all Time. We thought it could have been Jude Bellingham, we thought it could have been Harry Kane. But this is why Lionel Messi is the KING,”

The 39-year-old Messi has racked up eight goals and four assists through seven games at this tournament. His two helpers on Wednesday pulled him ahead of Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot.

Thomas Tuchel’s squad sat back with the lead, and it came back to bite them. Argentina pushed in waves, and you just knew the equalizer and eventual game-winner were coming, and of course, they both did.

On the flip side, Messi continues to build his case as the greatest footballer of all time, and carrying his country to a second consecutive World Cup title at almost 40 years old might just solidify it once and for all.

The world will be watching to see if he can do it when the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain kicks off at 3 p.m. EST on Sunday at New York New Jersey Stadium.

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