Argentina edge past England 2-1 to reach World Cup 2026 final

Argentina kept their title defense alive with a dramatic 2-1 victory over England in the World Cup 2026 semifinal, booking a showdown with Spain in the final. The first half was a tense, scrappy affair with few clear chances, but the game erupted after the break. In the 55th minute, Morgan Rogers slipped a pass into the box and Anthony Gordon smashed a powerful shot past Emiliano Martinez to put England ahead. Trailing for the first time in the tournament, Argentina seized control. Alexis Mac Allister came close with a header, only for Jordan Pickford to produce a fine save. The pressure kept building, and in the 86th minute, Lionel Messi teed up Enzo Fernandez, who fired a precise strike from outside the box to level the score. Just as extra time loomed, Messi delivered again. Deep into stoppage time, his perfect cross found Lautaro Martinez, who powered a header into the net to snatch victory and send Argentina to the final. Argentina will face Spain in the championship match on July 19 at 10:00 PM local time, while England will take on France in the third-place playoff earlier that day at midnight. Match highlights: England 1-2 Argentina Goals: Gordon 55' — E. Fernandez 86', Laut. Martinez 90+2' England: Pickford — James (Burn 82'), Stones (Toney 90+6'), Guehi, Spence (Rashford 90+6') — Rice (O'Reilly 82'), Anderson — Rogers, Bellingham, Gordon (Konsa 72') — Kane. Argentina: E. Martinez — Molina (Montiel 73'), Romero, Lis. Martinez (Otamendi 73'), Tagliafico (Laut. Martinez 81') — Simeone (De Paul 72'), Mac Allister, Paredes (Gonzalez 64'), E. Fernandez — Messi, J. Alvarez. Bookings: Anderson — Lis. Martinez, Romero, De Paul