Argentina reached the World Cup final after defeating England 2-1. Once again, the team decided the match in the closing moments: England took the lead shortly after halftime, but Argentina equalized in the 85th minute and then scored the winner in the second minute of stoppage time.
Lionel Messi provided both assists. The winning goal was celebrated by Messi and Lautaro Martinez. The article notes that this was not Argentina’s first comeback of the tournament, but this time it came against a much stronger opponent than in the team’s previous turnaround.
Historical context
For Argentina, this is a third final in the last four World Cups. In 2014 the team lost to Germany, and in 2022 it beat France. The national side had a similar stretch before: from 1978 to 1990, Argentina also reached three finals in four tournaments, winning two and losing one.
What is being discussed around the final
The piece also highlights possible rule adjustments driven by commercial considerations. According to reports cited by the outlet, FIFA may extend halftime in the final to fit both a music show and first-half analysis. While there has been no official confirmation, the break could reportedly increase from the regulation 15 minutes to 20 to 30 minutes.
It was initially expected that a performance involving Madonna, Shakira, BTS, and Justin Bieber would last 11 minutes. The article compares this to the Super Bowl, where halftime usually lasts about 30 minutes, while in regular American football league games it is around 13 minutes.
The tournament now has two matches left: the third-place game between France and England is scheduled for Saturday night, and the final will begin on Sunday at 22:00 Moscow time.