Argentina stuns England with late comeback to reach World Cup final

Argentina survived England 2-1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, turning a tense semifinal into a late rush to the World Cup final. Enzo Fernández equalized in the 85th minute with a strike from 20 yards, then Lautaro Martínez headed in the winner in the second minute of added time after a cross from Lionel Messi, sending Argentina to a second consecutive final against Spain on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The ending fit the identity Argentina has built under Lionel Scaloni: controlled, compact and calm when the match was tilting toward panic. As the decisive header went in, Scaloni showed only a restrained reaction on the touchline, a small smile that matched the team’s discipline in the final minutes. Argentina did not chase the game recklessly after falling behind; it stayed organized, waited for an opening and found two precise finishes when England could least afford them.

Jordan Pickford had kept England in front with two important saves before the comeback began, and for long stretches his work suggested Argentina might run out of time. Instead, Fernández ended that threat with a thunderous equalizer, and Martínez finished the job seven minutes later, turning a semifinal that looked tight and attritional into another late Argentine rescue. The sequence was sharp, deliberate and ruthless, with Messi’s delivery providing the final piece.

The result carried extra weight for Argentina as the defending champion, still carrying the memory of its third World Cup title in Qatar four years ago. Reaching another final underscored how often Scaloni’s side has handled pressure moments with discipline rather than drift, especially in matches that remain unresolved deep into the second half. That composure, more than the celebration, defined the final minutes in Atlanta.

England’s wait to reach a second World Cup final in its history goes on, undone by two late concessions after Pickford had done enough to preserve the lead. Argentina, by contrast, kept its nerve long enough to turn a semifinal scare into another chance at the title.