In order to get to the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, Argentina, the current champions, staged an incredible late comeback, scoring goals from Lautaro Martinez and Enzo Fernandez to overcome England 2-1.
With an incredible comeback, Argentina have now won six World Cup semi-finals in a row. On Sunday, Lionel Scaloni’s reigning champions will play Spain in the championship match in New York, New Jersey.
The Three Lions, competing in their second semi-final of the previous three World Cups, took the lead through Morgan Rogers’ cross, but it wasn’t enough to secure their first World Cup final place since 1966. Martinez headed in the winner in the third minute of injury time to give Argentina a chance to retain their title after Fernandez had scored from outside the box.
Italy (1934, 1938), Brazil (1958, 1962), Argentina (1986, 1990), Brazil (1994, 1998), and France (2018, 2022) have all won the World Cup and qualified for the next final, making Argentina the sixth side to do so. In the meantime, England has lost three World Cup semifinals (1990, 2018, and 2026) and has only made one final appearance, in 1966.
The match started out with a lot of energy. It was cautiously played and furiously challenged, and no side had a chance on goal until the 33rd minute. John Stones then nodded broad from a Declan Rice free-kick at the far post. Fernandez smacked a powerful shot over at the opposite side.
These teams had to work hard to get here. In the moments they most needed inspiration, they both discovered it. Julian Alvarez tried to create one such moment shortly after the restart by going past Djed Spence after a long ball ahead and forcing Jordan Pickford to make a wise stop at his near post.
Instead, the breakthrough came at the other end when Morgan Rogers, one of three players brought back into England’s starting XI, delivered a terrific low cross from the right. Gordon, who arrived at the back post, outmaneuvered Nahuel Molina to direct a fantastic controlled finish into the corner of Emiliano Martinez’s goal.
Spence, one of the starters Thomas Tuchel restored, made a fantastic goal-saving tackle to prevent Giuliano Simeone from scoring, but the close calls persisted as England played increasingly deep and Argentina’s pressure mounted. Alexis Mac Allister’s header struck the post, and substitute Nico Gonzalez’s header was stopped by a superb save from Pickford.
Eventually, the pressure told as Messi squared the ball to Fernandez after a short-corner routine, and he unleashed a magnificent strike from outside the box that sailed past Pickford to his right.
Then, in extra time, Mac Allister’s shot hit a post, but Messi retrieved the hazard, sending a right-foot cross that substitute Martinez buried at the far post.
Notably, Messi, at 39 years and 21 days old, surpassed Fritz Walter and Gunnar Gren, who were both 37 years and 236 days old when they played against each other for West Germany and Sweden, respectively, in 1958, to become the oldest outfield player to appear in a World Cup semi-final.
“I’m speechless, speechless. ” Following the final whistle, Argentina Coach Lionel Scaloni said, “What a delight for our country, for our people. ” I stated the other day that I’m always amazed by this team. And it is incredibly challenging to persuade individuals to realize what these players are capable of after this. It’s amazing. Really, we’re one of a kind, and we mean that with all our hearts—not out of vanity. We did that until the finish as well, and we had to dig in after we went up 2-1. When we’re small, we’re taught that this is a representation of everything we learn about what football is.