‘He was everywhere’ – Argentine media laud ‘champion’ Alexis Mac Allister after semi-final drama | OneFootball

Alexis Mac Allister remains on course to become a back-to-back world champion after Argentina produced yet another dramatic late comeback in the World Cup on Wednesday.

Having recovered from 2-0 down in the 78th minute to beat Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16, the holders were staring down the barrel of defeat to England in Atlanta as they trailed 1-0 with just over five minutes of normal time remaining.

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However, goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez turned the game on its head and took Lionel Scaloni’s side into the final, in which they’ll face European champions Spain (and new Liverpool winger Victor Munoz) on Sunday.

Mac Allister praised for semi-final performance

Mac Allister – who was twice denied by the woodwork in the latter stages – came in for deserved praise from one reporter in his homeland.

He was given 7/10 by Ernesto Provitilo in his post-match player ratings for TyC Sports, with the reporter observing: ‘Similar to Enzo [Fernandez] on the left, positioned alongside [Leandro] Paredes, he didn’t quite manage to establish the desired partnership with Julián [Alvarez] there.

‘But, like everyone else, he gave his all for every ball and contributed to winning back possession. When Argentina needed the equaliser, he was everywhere, heading the ball, hitting the woodwork. Another champion wanting to be champion again.’

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Mac Allister one win away from a place in football folklore

Like many of his Liverpool teammates, Mac Allister was well below his best in the 2025/26 campaign, but he’s looked much more like his usual self at the World Cup, being lauded for his performances right throughout the tournament.

The midfielder will have been disappointed not to score past Jordan Pickford with a close-range effort and was unlucky to hit the woodwork twice, although he can be quite pleased with his overall contribution on the night, as evidenced below by figures from Sofascore.

He’s now just one win away from being part of a historic line-up, with Argentina becoming just the third team in history to retain the World Cup (and the first since 1962) if they defeat Spain on Sunday, and he’ll have been involved in both finals if (as seems highly likely) he starts in New Jersey.

The qualities outlined by Provitilo – the optimum effort to win back possession and the omnipresence as his nation sought to overturn a 1-0 deficit – are traits that Andoni Iraola would absolutely love to see from Mac Allister at Liverpool throughout next season.

The Reds’ number 10 will go down in legend in his home country if they win at the weekend and he plays a starring role in that triumph.