ATLANTA — Argentina pulled off yet another improbable comeback at the 2026 World Cup, led again by Lionel Messi, as they scored twice in the final minutes to beat England 2-1 in an epic World Cup semifinal in Atlanta.
Once again, their sheer will to win defied belief as Messi turned it on when his country needed him.
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The reigning World Cup champions simply refused to give up their crown as Messi and Co. will now meet Spain in the final on Sunday and get a crack at history as they aim to become just the third team in history to retain the trophy.
When it mattered most Argentina thrived under the pressure as Messi set up both late goals.
England collapsed.
Feeling the stands shake and the Argentina fans explode with delight in Atlanta was a moment of pure football ecstasy. Argentina’s players turned it up several gears when they needed it most and showed their quality and desperation.
🇦🇷 ARGENTINA Y LEO MESSI… ¡EN UNA FINAL DEL MUNDIAL MÁS! ✅
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) July 15, 2026
Así celebran los jugadores argentinos con su gente ❤️
📺 Sigue toda la cobertura de la Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026 por Telemundo y Peacock #MundialTelemundo #FIFAWorldCup #Somos26 #InglaterraVsArgentina pic.twitter.com/qN1cCgWSHK
The emotions of the occasion seemed to get to Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina up until England went 1-0 up through Anthony Gordon. The occasion controlled them and stopped them from playing properly.
Only after they went 1-0 down in the second half did Argentina decide to play as they chased a way back into the game.
And it turns out they are pretty good at actually playing football when they want to, as they spent the first hour of this game being kicking their opponents.
Alexis Mac Allister somehow hit the post from close range and went close with another header. Messi danced past tackles and whipped in a delicious cross which Nicolas Gonzalez headed on goal but somehow Jordan Pickford saved.
The goals were coming as wave after wave of Argentina attacks flooded towards the main band of their fans behind the goal in Atlanta.
It was relentless and eventually they broke through.
After Messi found him on the edge of the box, Enzo Fernandez’s shot was too good for Pickford. Then Mac Allister hit the post again.
¡¡¡GOOOOOOOOL DE ARGENTINA!!! ¡¡¡GOLAAAAAZO DE ENZO FERNÁNDEZ!!!
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) July 15, 2026
Tremendo disparo de fuera del área y el encuentro se empató en los últimos minutos.
Inglaterra 1-1 Argentina… ¿Habrá tiempo extra? pic.twitter.com/PjovGkv0Sh
Then the winner came.
Messi smelt blood in the water and just parked himself on the right wing to cause chaos, as Nico O’Reilly and Djed Spence couldn’t cope with him.
A perfect cross to the back post from Messi was headed home by substitute Lautaro Martinez to send the Argentina fans absolutely bonkers.
¡¡¡GOOOOOOOOOOOOOL DE ARGENTINAAAAAAA!!! ¡¡¡GOOOOOOL EN LOS ÚLTIMOS MINUTOS!!!
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) July 15, 2026
Lautaro Martínez remata de cabeza dentro del área tras una asistencia de Lionel Messi.
El campeón defenderá su corona… ¡Remontada de Argentina! ¡1-2 sobre Inglaterra! pic.twitter.com/G5kXs8cWsj
It wasn’t a game for football purists. Argentina hacked away at England up until they needed to play and then the pulled away.
Messi, obviously, led the charge.
“For large parts of the game we dealt with him really well,” England captain Harry Kane told reporters after. “But as always with the most dangerous players in the world, when they have the ball in the final third they can create something and he did that again today. He’s obviously one of the best players ever for a reason. It’s disappointing to give up the space with did in those final 20 minutes not just to him but the other ball players to grow into the game and feel more confident and get balls into dangerous areas. In the end it was too much for us to stop.”
Argentina found a way to win, again, just like they did against Cape Verde and Egypt and Switzerland at this World Cup. It wasn’t pretty at all, but sheer might and determination has sent them to the World Cup final against Spain in New Jersey on Sunday.
For England, they simply had no answer to Argentina’s late surge. Thomas Tuchel stood helpless as his team dropped deeper and deeper and succumbed to Messi’s magic and the sheer will power of the team around him.
Just like they did in the World Cup semifinal against Croatia in 2018 and the European Championship final against Italy in 2021, they chucked away a lead in a big game and folded in the biggest moment possible.
At the final whistle a distraught Kane stood with his hands on his hips as Messi consoled him.
England had blown it again and tried to sit on their lead after going 1-0 up. It didn’t work, at all.
They had no answer for the fury and desperation that their goal sparked in Argentina’s players.
A first World Cup final in 60 years was there in their grasp but they did the complete opposite of what they should have done to see it out.
Messi was hoisted aloft on the shoulders of his teammates in the post-game celebrations as he led the celebrations and no matter what happens in New Jersey on Sunday, Argentina have a chance to make history.
They deserve it because whenever it has mattered most at this tournament they’ve turned up. It hasn’t been pretty but they found a way. England chucked it away.
