Resilient Argentina refuse to fall

Most teams that go on to achieve ultimate glory have one thing in common: resilience.

They never give up until the final whistle, and those are often the teams that reap the rewards when the dust settles.

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Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina have embodied that spirit throughout this World Cup. The latest chapter in their remarkable story came in Atlanta, where they conjured another stunning comeback to beat England 2-1 in the semifinal.

In doing so, Argentina reached a second successive World Cup final. The icing on the cake is that Messi will become only the second player, after Brazil's Cafu (1994, 1998, and 2002), to feature in three World Cup finals.

After falling at the final hurdle in 2014 and guiding Argentina to a long-awaited third title in 2022, Messi now stands on the brink of absolute immortality if he can lead his side to back-to-back World Cup triumphs -- something achieved by only Brazil and Italy.

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It took another moment of Messi magic to carry Argentina over the line against England, who had taken the lead through Anthony Gordon's strike in the 55th minute.

Rather than building on that advantage, Thomas Tuchel's side retreated into a defensive shell, hoping to protect the lead against a team that has repeatedly shown its ability to come from behind in this tournament.

The numbers alone underline how dangerous that approach can be. Argentina have scored 19 goals in seven matches, with 12 of them coming after the 75th minute.

Eight of those goals have come between the 75th minute and the end of regulation time.

As time appeared to be running out against England, Messi once again rose to the occasion, setting up Enzo Fernandez for the equaliser in the 85th minute before substitute Lautaro Martinez struck the winner in the second minute of nine minutes of added time.

It was far from the first time Argentina had pulled off such a rescue act. They needed extra time to edge past Cape Verde in the knockout stage before producing dramatic late victories against Egypt and Switzerland to book their place in the semifinal.

Safe to say, when Messi and Argentina smell blood, they go for the kill.

Modern football fans have seen this script before. Real Madrid have built a reputation for producing breathtaking comebacks on the biggest stage. The record 15-time winners got their 14th Champions League title, fuelled by dramatic fightbacks against Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester City.

Argentina have not completed the job yet. They must still overcome an in-form Spain in Monday's final at the New York-New Jersey Stadium.

But they have already shown the mentality that defines champions. Of course, they will hope for a comfortable victory in the final. Yet if the match turns into another battle of survival, they know they possess both the character and pedigree to produce another miracle.

Because that is what champions do.