Lionel Messi inspires dominant Argentina to Wembley win over Italy

They came to see their king and he did not disappoint. Three weeks before his 35th birthday but still as influential as ever, Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to victory over Italy in a “Finalissima” that certainly lived up to all the hype. Billed as a showdown between the champions of Europe and South American and being played for the first time since 1993, there only ever looked like being one winner on Giorgio Chiellini’s final international appearance as Lionel Scaloni’s side stretched their unbeaten run to 32 matches. A former defender, Scaloni spent half a season on loan at West Ham in 2006 under the management of Alan Pardew and, with Messi pulling the strings from a deeper position, he has clearly assembled a side that should be considered genuine contenders for the World Cup later this year.

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It has been nearly 30 years since Argentina beat Denmark on penalties to lift what was then known as the Artemio Franchi Cup after a former Uefa president. France won the first edition in 1985, with the match having been revived as “part of the expansion of the cooperation between Uefa and Conmebol” signed in February 2020 between the two governing bodies as a direct challenge to Fifa’s growing hegemony. Yet while South American teams are also expected to feature in a revamped Nations League after 2024, this was an opportunity for Italy to at least partially make up for their disappointing failure to qualify for the World Cup after losing to North Macedonia in a playoff. There were no such issues for Argentina, who sailed through qualification for Qatar unbeaten after ending a 28-year wait to be crowned South American champions. Messi was