Argentina rallies past bitter rival England to book spot in World Cup final

One of the most bitter rivalries in international soccer wrote a new chapter in its contentious series Wednesday, when defending World Cup champions Argentina rallied to edge England 2-1 in Atlanta, Georgia, to advance to Sunday's final at MetLife Stadium, where they will face Spain.

In a chippy, tense matchup that was less about free-flowing soccer and more a war of attrition, a 55th-minute moment of brilliance from left winger Anthony Gordon, who chipped in a cross from Morgan Rogers, gave England the lead.

But as they have so many times in this tournament, La Albiceleste mounted a comeback, first thanks to a stunning 85th-minute strike from just outside the penalty area by midfielder Enzo Fernandez, then a stoppage-time header from substitute Lautaro Martinez, assisted by none other than legendary striker Lionel Messi, to permanently give Argentina the lead.

"I dreamed it, I swear. I told Alexis (Mac Allister) that I was going to score. I told him that I was going to come on and I was going to win it," Martinez said. "I can tell you this team keeps showing what it's made of."

At the final whistle, Messi fell to his knees in celebration while England players collapsed in disbelief — again. Add 2026 to 1986 and 1998 on the list of games when Argentina has extinguished English hopes at the World Cup.  

"I'm gutted for the team, the staff, the fans," England captain Harry Kane said. "We worked so hard to be here. The lads have given every bit of blood, sweat and tears. To fall short like we did is just gutting."  

Messi is seeking to lead Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup title and the first repeat champion since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. His eight goals remain tied for the most in this tournament. The 39-year-old is one of only two players, the other being Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, to play in six men's World Cups.

The Three Lions were seeking their first World Cup title since 1966. Their intercontinental rivalry with Argentina carries a lot of history, most notably Diego Maradona's infamous "Hand of God" goal that helped Argentina bounce England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal.

Argentina will face Spain on Sunday, which beat favorites France 2-0 on Tuesday. England will play France on Saturday for third place.

"We're going to try to win, we're going to leave everything out there," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. "It's very difficult to get people to understand what these players are showing. It's incredible. We are unique, truly, and it's not arrogance, it's from the heart. We are unique."  

England wanted to protect its late 1-0 lead and coach Thomas Tuchel made lineup changes to build a wall in front of the goal.

Argentina and Messi kicked it down.

England swapped defender Reece James for Dan Burn and midfielder Declan Rice for defender Nico O'Reilly in the 82nd minute.

Three minutes later, Fernández struck from outside the penalty area for Argentina's first goal. And late substitute Martínez sealed the win with a close-range header when England defenders lost him on a cross from Messi.

Messi pulled in Kane and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford for handshakes and hugs on the pitch after Argentina's victory.

Argentina players — many with their shirts off — jumped and sang in front of their fans after their win. England players stood in shock in the middle of the field. A sizable chunk of their fans left immediately when the match ended.

The loss for England will hurt a new generation of fans in a similar way to Diego Maradona's infamous handball goal in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals and the penalty shootout loss in 1998 when David Beckham was sent off for kicking Diego Simeone.  

It almost felt inevitable. Especially given the amount times Argentina has simply refused to give in at this year's World Cup. From Cape Verde to Egypt, Messi and Co. always seem to find a way.

England, in contrast, came up short in the World Cup semifinals for the third time after losses to Germany in 1990 and Croatia in 2018. And it's another occasion in recent years when England's players have squandered a winning position in the later stages of a major tournament.

Wednesday's first half was scoreless but not without some rough action. The teams combined for 19 first half fouls, two yellow cards and no shots on goal.

Referee Ismail Elfath held up play briefly after just a few minutes in an effort to calm things down.

It didn't seem to help much as the physical style by both teams continued.

Prior to the match, Argentine Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva said that fans would not be able to carry some of their flags and banners that incorporate images of the Falkland Islands into the semifinal.

Monteoliva cited FIFA's code of conduct, which bans politically divisive content. But her comments led to a social media backlash in Buenos Aires.

England reasserted control of the Falklands in a 1982 war with Argentina. Argentines claim the British protectorate as the Malvinas and consider the South Atlantic islands essential to their national identity.

FIFA's code of conduct also says fans cannot "curse or chant in a political, offensive and/or discriminatory manner."

Argentine Vice President Victoria Villarruel this week described the match as a fight against "usurping pirates," a reference to the Falkland Islands controversy.