Argentina produced another remarkable comeback to defeat England 2-1 and book their place in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, keeping alive their hopes of winning a fourth global title.
The defending champions recovered from a second half deficit to stun the Three Lions with two late goals in a dramatic semi final at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Lionel Messi inspired the turnaround with two decisive assists as La Albiceleste set up a mouthwatering final against Spain on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The victory sends Argentina into their third World Cup final in the last four editions, underlining their remarkable consistency on football’s biggest stage. Since reaching the final in Brazil in 2014, they have only failed to make the title match once, exiting at the quarter final stage in Russia in 2018 before lifting the trophy in Qatar in 2022.
Spain now stand between Argentina and a fourth World Cup crown. La Roja are seeking only their second world title after their historic triumph in South Africa in 2010, setting up a final between two of the tournament’s most impressive teams.
England Go Ahead
The opening half was a tense and tactical affair with both sides creating limited clear cut opportunities. Argentina enjoyed more possession while England remained compact and dangerous on the counter attack, but neither goalkeeper was seriously troubled as the teams went into the break locked at 0-0.
England emerged with greater urgency after the restart and broke the deadlock in the 55th minute. Morgan Rogers received a pass from Reece James on the right and delivered a low cross across the face of goal where Anthony Gordon timed his run perfectly, racing from the blindside of Gonzalo Montiel to tap home from close range.
The goal lifted Thomas Tuchel’s side, who looked increasingly confident as they attempted to protect their advantage against the reigning champions.
Argentina Turn Up The Pressure
Falling behind sparked Argentina into life as they pushed England deeper into their own half in search of an equaliser.
Jordan Pickford produced a string of impressive saves to frustrate Lionel Scaloni’s side, denying several efforts as England tried to cling to their slender lead.
Recognising the growing pressure, Tuchel introduced defensive reinforcements and switched to a back five in an effort to close out the match. However, Argentina continued to dominate possession and territory with Messi orchestrating attacks from advanced areas.
Defending Champions Refuse To Budge
Argentina’s persistence finally paid off five minutes from time. Messi collected possession following a short corner routine before laying the ball into the path of Enzo Fernández, who unleashed a powerful strike from outside the penalty area that flew beyond Pickford to level the contest.
With momentum now firmly on their side, Argentina sensed victory. Deep into stoppage time, Alexis Mac Allister struck the base of the post seconds before Messi reacted quickest to retrieve the loose ball.
The captain then delivered a precise cross that found Lautaro Martínez unmarked, and the Inter Milan forward headed into an empty net to complete an extraordinary comeback.
Messi finished the night with two assists, taking his tally to 12 goal contributions in the tournament, comprising eight goals and three assists. That total takes him one above France captain Kylian Mbappé at the top of the tournament’s combined goals and assists chart. The Argentine is also leading the Adidas Golden Boot race though he has the same number of goals as Mbappe but on top by virtue of his superior assists.
England pushed desperately for an equaliser in the closing moments but Argentina defended resolutely to preserve their lead and secure another place in football’s biggest match.
Attention now turns to Sunday’s final, where Argentina will attempt to retain the World Cup and capture a fourth title after previous triumphs in 1978, 1986 and 2022.
Spain, meanwhile, will aim to become world champions for only the second time. Before that, England and France will meet in Saturday’s third place playoff as both nations seek to finish the tournament on a winning note.
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