Argentina stun England in a 2-1 comeback win to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup final
England looked on course for their first World Cup final since 1966 after taking the lead just after the hour mark. Morgan Rogers whipped in a low cross from the right that Anthony Gordon steered past goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, beating Nahuel Molina to the ball to give the Three Lions a 1-0 advantage in the 55th minute.
Argentina responded by throwing men forward, with Alexis Mac Allister denied by the post and a Nico Gonzalez header well saved by Jordan Pickford as the pressure built through the second half.
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Fernandez and Martinez complete the comeback
The breakthrough finally came in the 85th minute, when Enzo Fernandez controlled a pass from Lionel Messi on the edge of the box and drilled a low shot beyond Pickford to level the score at 1-1.
Two minutes into stoppage time, Messi again turned provider, crossing from the left for substitute Lautaro Martinez, who rose to head home the winner and send the Argentine bench into wild celebration.
Also Read: England vs Argentina: Could Messi be the FIFA World Cup semifinal game changer?
Messi's record-breaking night
Although he did not score, Messi's two assists proved decisive and also moved him to the top of the tournament's Golden Boot standings on the head-to-head tiebreaker, level with France's Kylian Mbappe on eight goals but ahead on assists.
At 39, Messi is playing in his first-ever match against England and could become just the second player after Diego Maradona to lead Argentina to more than one World Cup title.
Argentina's official team account celebrated the result on X shortly after the final whistle:
🏆 #FIFAWorldCup
— 🇦🇷 Selección Argentina ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) July 15, 2026
⚽ #Argentina 2 (Enzo Fernández y Lautaro Martínez) 🆚 #Inglaterra 🏴 1 (Anthony Gordon)
👉 ¡Final del partido!
🔥 Imposible no ilusionarse... ¡vamos, un pasito más! pic.twitter.com/U1hjydJoOL
A final six decades in the making
England, who last reached a World Cup final in 1966, will instead play France in Saturday's third-place match in Miami. Captain Harry Kane said afterward that his side had done well for the first hour before struggling to hold onto possession as Argentina built momentum.
Argentina now advances to a seventh World Cup final, where victory over Spain on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, would make them the first team to win back-to-back titles since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
