Call it fate, call it destiny – Lionel Messi and Argentina are headed back to the final on soccer’s biggest stage.
From the very beginning of the tournament, there seemed to be an air of inevitability about it.
Yet, nobody could have predicted that it would unfold the way that it did.
Sure, Argentina dominated an unimpressive Group J that featured Austria, Algeria, and Jordan.
And yes, their road to the semi-final featured one opponent that was shorter than 100-to-1 to lift the trophy at FanDuel pre-draw.
However, after an unexpected struggle in their victory over Cabo Verde in extra time and a remarkable rally from down two goals late in the second half versus Egypt, Argentina’s road was only supposed to get more difficult.
A win over Switzerland in the elite eight set the stage for Argentina’s toughest test yet versus England.
It certainly seemed to be playing out that way when Argentina trailed England 1-0 in the final minutes of regulation.
Instead, England did the one thing no team should ever do against Argentina, and their decision to sit back and take an ultra-conservative approach to finish the match would go on to burn them.
Enzo Fernandez scored the tying goal in the 85th minute.
Lautaro Martinez scored the game winner at 90’ +2’.
Two goals, two moments of magic, and both set up by the legendary Messi in a span of six minutes and 32 seconds to flip the script on soccer’s biggest stage.
La Albiceleste became just the second team ever to advance through multiple knockout rounds of this event despite not leading in the 90th minute in any of its knockout round matches.
Now Argentina is headed back to the final with a chance to become the first back-to-back world champion since Brazil accomplished that feat all the way back in 1958-62.
We should never have doubted they’d have this chance.
Let’s set the stage for the tournament final in this Morning Coffee column for Thursday July 16th, 2026.
Messi, Argentina Will Be Underdogs Again For Sunday’s Final Versus Spain
What a week for FanDuel’s arrival in Alberta.
The province’s expanded online sports betting market kicked things off with a pair of unforgettable semi-finals on soccer’s biggest stage.
Now we’ll roll into CFL Week 7 with the Edmonton Elks and Calgary Stampeders in action, the MLB second half gets underway, the Open Championship, and an epic final to conclude the biggest tournament of the summer.
According to the FanDuel traders, Argentina to lift the trophy at +390 was a popular bet in Alberta this week.
At the very minimum, those Alberta bettors who jumped on La Albiceleste ahead of their thrilling comeback win over England can secure a profit by hedging their futures with a bet on Spain to win the final.
The other option is to let it ride and hope for more Messi magic in the final.
On Sunday, Messi will follow Cafu as only the second player ever to appear in three different world finals.
He’ll also set the record as the oldest outfield player to ever appear in the final on soccer’s biggest stage.
If there were ever any doubts about Messi’s brilliance, they have been put to rest with another epic run.
At 39-years-old, Messi has continued to outclass his peers with 12 total goal contributions in this tournament.
With eight goals and four assists, Messi is now -750 to be named the player of the tournament.
He’s also -200 to lead the tournament in goals.
Argentina will embrace the underdog role for the second consecutive match at +130 versus Spain.
The reigning European champions are a -150 favourite.
Will Messi lift the trophy one more time?
Or will Sunday’s final mark a passing of the torch in the first-ever head-to-head showdown between Messi and 18-year-old Spanish superstar Lamine Yamal?
Except for Spain’s scoreless draw versus Cabo Verde in their opener, these teams have won all their matches in this tournament.
Spain will try to become the first European champion to win the subsequent world tournament since accomplishing that feat in 2008 and 2010.
Meanwhile, Argentina will try to become the first back-to-back world champion and the first country to ever win four consecutive major titles.
If they finish the job, the celebrations will span worldwide from Buenos Aires to Alberta... and apparently even Antarctica.
On the heels of a 16-3 run with the FanDuel Best Bets in this column, I’ll take the opportunity to hit the reset button with 24 hours to lock in a play for Sunday’s final.
The final two remaining matches will mark Day 33 and Day 34 of our FanDuel tournament coverage at TSN.
As the long road winds down, I’m extremely proud of the content our team has produced, standing alone as Canada’s leader in tournament predictions and content.
At least for some of us, the wins and losses still matter.
What’s your prediction for Sunday’s final?
Hit me up @Domenic_Padula on X and let me know.
Regardless of what happens on Sunday, it’s been an epic run that has somehow made the biggest tournament of the summer even better.
Have a great day, everyone!
