Messi dedicates win over England to Maradona: 'He paved the way and we followed in his footsteps'

Lionel Messi moved the entire country once again. After the stunning 2-1 victory over England that put the national team into the 2026 World Cup final, the Argentine captain did not hesitate to dedicate the win to Diego Maradona. It was a moment full of emotion, including a replica jersey.

“He paved the way back then in that match against England, and we followed in his footsteps and everything he left behind. He left a legacy, the national team meant a lot to him. This group took it to the highest level,” Messi said, his voice breaking, in statements to TyC Sports.

The number 10 received a replica of the jersey Maradona wore in the historic 2-1 win in 1986, and could not hide his emotion. “What happened today was beautiful, and surely Diego is enjoying it from above. For him, today was a very special day, and we wanted to give him this joy so he could enjoy it,” he added.

But Messi went further. In an interview with ESPN, he made it clear he does not want comparisons. “We are lucky to have lived through Diego and enjoyed him. I am very happy to be living this moment and helping Argentina play a World Cup final again. I never wanted to compare myself to him and I never will; for me, he is the greatest of all,” he said.

The Rosario native recalled the moments shared with Maradona, especially at the 2010 World Cup. “I know he loved me a lot; we shared beautiful and difficult moments together, like at the 2010 World Cup. He was in a very nice stage of his life then, and we enjoyed it a lot. It was crazy to be with him day in and day out, training, preparing matches, watching our rivals. I always kept everything I lived with him, and I think today, wherever he is, he is also happy,” he confessed.

Another who joined the tribute was Enzo Fernández, scorer of the first goal against the English. The midfielder said that in recent days he watched the 1986 match at least three times. “I am sure he is very happy in heaven; today he supported us and was with us. I love Diego, I have always said it. With Juli [Álvarez] we watched the match against England. It is one of those that mark football history, and for us it was a huge motivation,” he stated.

Messi described the qualification as “crazy” and looked ahead to Sunday’s final against Spain with a “let whatever God wants happen.” “The truth is, what we experienced from the beginning was incredible. Although it was a football match, when we started entering and the anthem played, we felt special sensations,” he emphasized.

“I think the group felt it, and we knew it was not just another victory. The Argentine people wanted it, and so did we. It’s crazy to play two consecutive World Cup finals. This group is incredible. Today we went for it again after it got tough. We pinned them in their goal, and honestly, it’s immense happiness,” he added.

Regarding the political and social context of the clash, Messi said that facing England — for the first time in his career — is “special.” “It was a match we wanted to win to give joy to the people and get into the final,” he stated, and affirmed that Argentina faced a team that is “enormous, with great players and great play, and a football philosophy that has been developing this way for many years.”

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