Scaloni praises Argentina after England win, eyes Spain in World Cup final

Lionel Messi set up both goals and Lautaro Martínez finished the job in the 92nd minute as Argentina beat England 2-1 in Atlanta to move within one win of back-to-back World Cup crowns. The defending champions will face Spain on Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in a final that kicks off at 3 p.m. in New York, 9 p.m. in Madrid and 4 p.m. in Buenos Aires.

Lionel Scaloni used the aftermath of the semifinal to praise a team that had been pushed hard by England before breaking through late. He called Argentina’s performance “incredible” and said the squad would “give it everything” in the final. Scaloni also defended Messi’s standing in the game, saying the captain is the best footballer in history.

The matchup with Spain gives the final a sharper edge than a routine title defense. Spain reached the match by beating France 2-0 in the other semifinal, setting up a meeting between the reigning world champions and the reigning European champions. For Argentina, the stakes are historical as well as immediate: no team has won consecutive World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.

Messi’s role has made Argentina’s run feel larger than one national campaign. His two assists against England again placed him at the center of a match that moved from tactical contest to global spectacle, with attention stretching from Buenos Aires to Madrid and across the Argentine and Spanish communities that will follow the final from different sides of the rivalry. Scaloni’s own reference to his Spanish family added another layer to a game already shaped by cross-border loyalties and a player whose reach far exceeds one fan base.

Argentina now heads to its second straight World Cup final under Scaloni, carrying the weight of a title defense and the expectation that Messi can still bend the biggest stage to his will. Spain, meanwhile, will chase only its second world title in its second appearance in a World Cup final.