ATLANTA — Argentina completed a stunning semifinal comeback against England at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, scoring two late goals to secure a 2-1 victory and set up a World Cup final matchup with Spain this Sunday.
The reigning champions, who claimed their third title in Qatar four years ago, seemed on the verge of elimination with England leading until the dying moments, thanks to a second-half goal by Anthony Gordon.
In a familiar turn of events, Argentina found their footing, with Enzo Fernández equalizing with a magnificent strike from 20 yards out in the 85th minute.
Lionel Messi, who assisted the first goal, played a pivotal role again. His cross found substitute Lautaro Martínez, who headed home the winning goal in the second minute of stoppage time.
“We’ve been the best for the last four years, regardless of what anyone says,” Messi expressed after the match. “Today, we proved that it’s no accident. Making it to two consecutive World Cup finals is a significant achievement for this group.”
Messi now boasts 10 assists in the World Cup knockout stage, far surpassing any other player in the last 60 years. Additionally, he has contributed either a goal or an assist in 11 consecutive World Cup matches since 2022, marking the longest streak since at least 1966.
The assist to Martínez could very well be the most crucial of his career if Argentina secures another trophy.
“This is incredible; it truly is,” Martínez said. “I dreamed about this. I told Alexis [Mac Allister] I would score, and I assured Facu Medina that I would come on and win the match.”
“We pressed hard and went all-in. We got the goals when it mattered, and after 3½ years, we’re back in a World Cup final.”
England, unable to maintain their lead, will have to wait longer for their second World Cup final appearance since their 1966 victory.
“We’re disappointed; we were so close, but we became too passive after scoring and allowed too many chances,” acknowledged England coach Thomas Tuchel. “We struggled to regain possession and conceded too many crosses and shots. We were near, but we couldn’t maintain our performance level after scoring.”
The match reignited one of international football’s fiercest rivalries, with a vibrant atmosphere in the stadium as both fan bases aimed to outsing one another during the national anthems.
The first half was physically intense and ended without goals, though the action picked up after halftime.
With their World Cup hopes hanging in the balance, Argentina surged forward in pursuit of an equalizer.
Argentina faced frustration due to poor finishing and impressive saves from England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who made two key stops to keep the Three Lions in the lead.
His first spectacular save came in the 69th minute when he denied Nico González, who connected with a perfect cross from Messi. Just seven minutes later, he thwarted Mac Allister after the Liverpool player struck the post.
However, as the pressure mounted, Argentina finally found success in the closing stages.
After Fernández’s late goal, Argentina became the first team in history to achieve multiple winning goals in second-half stoppage time within a single World Cup tournament.
“This group never fails to amaze me,” remarked coach Lionel Scaloni. “The efforts of these players are incredible. It’s challenging to explain their performance on the field. We are unique, and it’s not arrogance; the fans carried us to victory.”
Argentina’s face-off with Spain in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will mark the first World Cup final between the reigning champions of Europe and South America, as well as the first final contested by the two top-ranked teams since the FIFA rankings were introduced in 1992.
This will be Argentina’s seventh World Cup final as they chase their fourth title and look to join Italy (1934, 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962) as the third nation to win consecutive finals.
England will now prepare to face France in Saturday’s third-place match in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.