Argentina produced a dramatic late comeback to beat England 2-1 on Wednesday night, booking their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final after crushing the Three Lions’ hopes with two goals in the closing stages of a gripping semifinal.
England looked on course for a famous victory when Anthony Gordon opened the scoring in the 55th minute, netting his first-ever FIFA World Cup goal after a well-worked attacking move. The breakthrough gave Thomas Tuchel’s men control of the contest as they edged closer to their first World Cup final since 1966.
But the reigning world champions had other ideas.
With five minutes of normal time remaining, Enzo Fernández produced a moment of pure brilliance, unleashing a thunderous long-range strike beyond Jordan Pickford to level the score and swing the momentum firmly in Argentina’s favour.
Just when extra time appeared inevitable, Argentina delivered the decisive blow in stoppage time. Lionel Messi turned provider, delivering an inviting cross that was emphatically headed home by Lautaro Martínez in the 92nd minute, completing a remarkable turnaround and sending the Albiceleste into another World Cup final.
The victory keeps Argentina’s dream of successfully defending the FIFA World Cup alive, while Messi moves one step closer to ending his international career with another global crown.
For England, it was another heartbreaking World Cup exit after leading for much of the second half, only to see Argentina snatch victory with a devastating late surge.
Argentina will now face Spain in Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final, while England must regroup for the third-place playoff against France.