Argentina Rallies Past England 2-1 in World Cup Semifinal Thriller to Set Up Final Showdown With Spain

ATLANTA — Argentina advanced to its second consecutive World Cup final Wednesday, scoring two goals in the closing minutes to overcome England 2-1 in a tense, physical semifinal that was scoreless for most of the match.

Enzo Fernández equalized in the 85th minute, and Lautaro Martínez headed in the winner in stoppage time to complete the comeback. Lionel Messi assisted on both goals, extending his influence on a tournament in which the 39-year-old continues to be one of the most decisive players on the field.

Argentina will now attempt to become the first team in more than six decades to win back-to-back World Cup titles when it faces Spain in Sunday’s final. Brazil was the last team to repeat as champion, winning in 1958 and 1962 behind Pelé.

The match began cautiously, with both teams more focused on physical contact than offense. Argentina and England did not register a single shot in the first 30 minutes, a stretch of shotless play that had not been seen at a World Cup since 1966, the earliest tournament for which reliable shot statistics exist. By halftime, the two sides had combined for 19 fouls and zero shots on goal.

England broke the deadlock in the 55th minute when Anthony Gordon volleyed home a goal off a long cross from Morgan Rogers, giving the Three Lions a 1-0 lead and their first shot on target of the match. But rather than push for a second goal, England pulled back into a defensive posture, bringing on taller, more defense-oriented substitutes in an apparent effort to protect the lead.

The approach left England with just 36% of possession over the final stretch and allowed Argentina to gradually build momentum. Julián Álvarez, Alexis Mac Allister and Nico González all had chances go begging — including a Mac Allister header that struck the post — before Fernández finally found the equalizer in the 85th minute, curling a left-footed shot from outside the box off a pass from Messi.

Argentina completed the turnaround in stoppage time. After Mac Allister’s shot hit the post, Messi collected the rebound, held possession, and lofted a cross into the box that Martínez headed past England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford for the winning goal.

England manager Thomas Tuchel defended his team’s approach after the match, saying he had no regrets about the tactical shift following Gordon’s goal.

“In the moment, no regrets,” Tuchel said. “The team gave everything and we were very, very close.” He added that England had “played one of our better matches, maybe our best match,” but that “the team was tough, and we couldn’t bring it over the line.”

Striker Harry Kane, who along with midfielder Jude Bellingham had combined for 12 goals earlier in the tournament, was held without a shot in the semifinal. Speaking afterward, Kane acknowledged the team’s recurring pattern of falling just short in major tournaments.

“We had a lot of good moments in this tournament, a lot of good games, another semifinal,” Kane said. “We talk about knocking on the door. We’re close. We just need to find that missing piece in the final stage of the tournament.”

He added that the physical and mental toll of a lengthy tournament run was significant: “These tournaments take it out of you so much. Effort and pressure and mentality, and we showed a lot of that throughout the whole six, seven weeks we’ve been together. But yeah, we’re just missing that final piece.”

It marks the second straight World Cup in which England has reached the semifinals only to fall short of the final. England also lost in the semifinals in 2018 and reached the quarterfinals in 2022. The country has not played in a World Cup final since it won the tournament on home soil in 1966.

Wednesday’s match carried an added layer of tension given the history between the two nations, both on and off the pitch. Argentina wore its navy blue alternate kit for the match — the same uniform it wore during its penalty-shootout win over England in the 1998 round of 16 and during the 1986 “Hand of God” quarterfinal. Tuchel noted the significance before the match, telling reporters Tuesday, “I would have done the same if there was any superstition combined with it. So credit to them. I was not aware of that.”

Ahead of the semifinal, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni sought to play down the rivalry narrative when asked about his message to the team. “The message is this is a football game,” Scaloni said. “That’s what I can say. This is a football game and we will be playing against a very tough opponent. They have an excellent coach, and this is a football game, and that’s all.”

Argentina’s path to the final has been far from smooth. The team needed extra time to escape a 3-2 scare against Cape Verde in the round of 32, rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16, and needed extra time again to beat Switzerland 3-1 in the quarterfinals after Switzerland’s Breel Embolo was sent off.

Messi, who broke a nine-match World Cup scoring streak in the quarterfinal win over Switzerland, remained the tournament’s most impactful player Wednesday despite not scoring himself. Over his last eight World Cup knockout matches, Messi has now recorded seven goals and six assists.

The championship match Sunday will pit Argentina’s bid for a second consecutive title against Spain, with kickoff details to be finalized in the coming days. For England, the wait to reach another World Cup final continues, with Bellingham — at 23, more than a decade younger than Kane — potentially in position to lead another run at the title when the tournament returns in 2030.