Argentina beats England with late comeback to reach World Cup final

Argentina scored two late goals to beat England 2-1 at Atlanta Stadium and move into the World Cup final against Spain on Sunday in New York/New Jersey. Lionel Messi’s side turned a semifinal that was slipping away into another defining escape, with Enzo Fernández equalizing in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martínez striking in the 90+2.

England had led since the 55th minute through Gordon, and Argentina spent much of the night chasing the game after the break. The equalizer from Fernández changed the tempo inside Atlanta Stadium, and Martínez’s stoppage-time finish completed a comeback that sent Argentina into the title match of the expanded 2026 tournament.

The result deepened one of football’s most charged rivalries. FIFA noted that Argentina and England had met for the sixth time in a World Cup, with previous chapters that still shape how the matchup is remembered. Argentina beat England 2-1 in the 1986 quarterfinal in Mexico, a match forever linked to Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” and the “Goal of the Century.” They met again in 1998, when the teams drew 2-2 before Argentina advanced 4-3 on penalties.

That history matters even more in a World Cup unlike any before it. The 2026 edition is the first with 48 teams and three host countries, Canada, Mexico and the United States, a format that has stretched the competition across a wider geography and raised the stakes for every knockout round. Against that backdrop, Argentina’s run has taken on the shape of a team built to absorb pressure and keep finding a way through.

Argentina had already shown that pattern earlier in the tournament, coming back from 2-0 down against Egypt to win 3-2 in 14 minutes. The England victory carried the same imprint, only against a far heavier opponent and on the edge of the final whistle. It sets up a final against Spain that is as much about style and legacy as it is about a trophy, with Messi now one win away from adding another chapter to Argentina’s World Cup history.