Argentina Reach FIFA World Cup 2026 Final After Late Comeback In 2-1 Win Over England

Defending champions Argentina staged a dramatic comeback to defeat England 2-1 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday (local time), booking their place in the final against Spain. After trailing for much of the second half, Argentina scored twice in the closing minutes to seal a memorable victory. The win keeps alive their hopes of retaining the World Cup title.

The opening half was a tightly contested battle, with both teams fighting for control in midfield and creating limited clear-cut chances. England looked threatening from set-pieces, while Argentina had moments of promise in attack, but neither side managed to break the deadlock before halftime. The physical encounter also saw Elliot Anderson, Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero receive yellow cards.

England broke the deadlock in the 55th minute through Anthony Gordon after Morgan Rogers delivered an inviting cross from the right. Gordon arrived at the far post and guided his finish beyond Emiliano Martinez to hand the Three Lions the lead. Following the goal, England adopted a more defensive approach as manager Thomas Tuchel introduced Ezri Konsa to strengthen the backline.

Argentina responded with sustained pressure as Jordan Pickford produced a fine save to deny Nicolas Gonzalez, while Alexis Mac Allister struck the post in search of an equaliser. Their persistence paid off in the 85th minute when Enzo Fernandez reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the penalty area and fired past Pickford to level the scores. The equaliser shifted the momentum firmly in Argentina's favour heading into stoppage time.

Argentina completed the comeback in the 90+2nd minute when Lionel Messi beat Djed Spence on the right and delivered a precise cross to the back post. An unmarked Lautaro Martinez nodded into an empty net to score the winning goal and send the defending champions into the lead. England pushed forward in search of a late equaliser, but Argentina held firm to secure their place in the final.

Argentina will now face Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on Sunday, July 19 (local time). England's hopes of reaching their first World Cup final since 1966 came to a heartbreaking end despite an impressive campaign. Thomas Tuchel's side will take on France in the third-place playoff on Saturday.