Argentina booked its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final after defeating England 2-1 in a dramatic semifinal in Atlanta, completing a late comeback in one of the tournament's most intense and entertaining matches.
The reigning world champions maintained their perfect semifinal record, reaching the World Cup final for the seventh time after winning all six of their previous semifinal appearances. England, meanwhile, fell just short of reaching its first World Cup final in nearly 60 years.
Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez played decisive roles in Argentina's victory. Messi set up the winning goal deep into stoppage time, while Martinez came off the bench to score the decisive header.
The match was heated from the opening whistle, with tempers flaring almost immediately. Referee Ismail Elfath had to calm players after a confrontation in the third minute that followed an otherwise routine foul in midfield.
The opening half was dominated by physical play, hard challenges, and frequent interruptions. Before the scheduled cooling break, the teams had already committed 11 fouls, leaving little room for attacking football.
