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Holders Argentina will face Spain in the final after snatching victory from England in a highly charged encounter.
Published On ۱۵ Jul ۲۰۲۶
Lautaro Martinez scored a ۹۲nd-minute winner as Lionel Messi inspired World Cup holders Argentina to a stunning comeback to beat England ۲-۱ and set up a final with European football champions Spain.
England had been on course to reach their first FIFA World Cup final since ۱۹۶۶ after Anthony Gordon fired them into the lead ۱۰ minutes into the second half of the semifinal in front of ۶۸,۲۳۹ fans in Atlanta on Wednesday.
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The great rivalry between these nations has produced several memorable contests on the World Cup stage through the years, and this will be remembered as the stuff of legends in Argentina as the South Americans denied England with two late sucker punches.
Messi set up Enzo Fernandez to fire in an ۸۵th-minute equaliser, and then, with extra time looming, crossed for substitute Lautaro Martinez to head in the winner in the second minute of stoppage time.
It was maybe not quite up there with Diego Maradona’s legendary display in putting England to the sword in ۱۹۸۶, but the goals this time brought Argentina back from the dead and kept alive their hopes of winning back-to-back World Cups.
No team has retained the trophy since Brazil in ۱۹۶۲, and now, Messi will become just the second player after Brazilian great Cafu to appear in three World Cup finals. Italy are the only other side to defend a World Cup crown.
The ۲۰۲۶ final will take place at New York New Jersey Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday, as the first ۴۸-team World Cup boils down to a confrontation between the reigning champions of Europe and South America.
Messi had waited until the age of ۳۹ to get the chance to play against England, and he will now face Spain for the first time in a competitive game.
His career appeared to be complete when he dragged Argentina to glory in ۲۰۲۲ in Qatar, but he is clearly not done yet.
England, though, will have huge regrets as they head to Miami to play France in Saturday’s third-place playoff, a game neither team will want to contest.
The prospect of a first World Cup final appearance since their sole triumph ۶۰ years ago was a momentous one, and they were so close, but will live to regret sitting back after Gordon’s opener.
The key men for Thomas Tuchel’s side during this campaign have been Jude Bellingham and captain Harry Kane, yet they failed to deliver on this occasion, and England’s players slumped to the turf at full-time.
Lautaro winner
Given the deep-rooted rivalry between these nations, this was always likely to be a game with an edge, and there was a palpable sense of tension at Atlanta Stadium.
Argentina’s players were clearly fired up, partly by a determination to hold onto their World Cup crown but also by a sense of what this fixture means.
That translated into a niggly contest, pockmarked by fouls in the first half, including Elliot Anderson being booked for scything down Messi.
There were no real chances to speak of in the first half, but England struck in the ۵۵th minute.
Kane was involved in the buildup as the ball eventually came to Morgan Rogers on the right, and he whipped in a low cross towards the back post where Gordon stole in front of Nahuel Molina to score.
But this was the stadium where Argentina produced a stunning comeback from ۲-۰ down to beat Egypt in the last ۱۶, and they were not done.
They threw everything at their opponents, as Jordan Pickford made a great save from a Nico Gonzalez header, and Alexis Mac Allister was then denied by the post in the ۷۶th minute.
Fernandez was denied from range by Pickford, but moments later, he equalised, controlling a Messi pass on the edge of the area and letting fly past the goalkeeper.
Argentina smelled blood, and Mac Allister again hit the post before England failed to clear, and Martinez headed in the winner from an exquisite Messi cross to spark chaotic scenes of celebration and leave England completely deflated.
