Reigning champions Argentina booked their place in the 2026 World Cup final after staging a thrilling comeback to defeat England 2-1 in a high-stakes semi-final clash.
A tightly contested first half saw both sides lock horns in a physical midfield battle, with clear-cut chances at a premium.
England’s full-back Reece James registered the first dangerous attempt in the 20th minute.
Shortly after, Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez produced a fine save to deny another English effort from a direct free-kick, while John Stones saw his header fly just wide. Argentina responded through Enzo Fernández, who fired a shot over the bar, leaving the teams deadlocked at 0-0 at the interval.
The second half kicked off at a blistering pace. Julián Álvarez came close to putting the Albiceleste ahead, but it was England who broke the deadlock in the 55th minute, with Anthony Gordon slotting home after a precise assist from Morgan Rogers.
Going a goal down galvanized Argentina into an offensive onslaught. England's shot-stopper Jordan Pickford made a stunning save to deny a powerful header from Nico González, and the woodwork came to England's rescue in the 76th minute, denying Alexis Mac Allister’s header.
*Argentina Into Their Seventh World Cup Final
Argentina’s relentless pressure finally paid off in the 85th minute when Enzo Fernández struck the equalizer. With the match seemingly heading into extra time, Lautaro Martínez turned hero, snatching a dramatic winner in stoppage time (90+2') to fire the Tango stars into their second consecutive World Cup final and seventh in their history.
This semi-final marked the sixth World Cup encounter between the two historic rivals. England had claimed victory in their first two meetings in 1962 and 1966.
Argentina then secured an iconic quarter-final win in 1986 inspired by Diego Maradona, followed by a penalty shootout triumph in the round of 16 in 1998.
Their last meeting before today was in the 2002 group stage, which ended in a 1-0 victory for England.
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