Argentina completes stunning comeback to beat England, reach World Cup final
Argentina scored twice in the final minutes to beat England 2-1 in the World Cup semi-final at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wednesday, setting up a final against Spain on Sunday
England led for much of the second half after a goal from Anthony Gordon, but Enzo Fernandez leveled the score in the 85th minute. Lionel Messi then set up substitute Lautaro Martinez, who headed in the winning goal in the second minute of stoppage time.
Argentina finished with 14 attempts on goal compared to England's five.
Messi said afterward, "We are coming from being the best during these last four years, like it or not, and say what they want. Once again, we proved it's no fluke, and nobody handed us anything." He has recorded a goal or assist in 11 straight World Cup games since 2022.
England coach Thomas Tuchel told the BBC, "We're disappointed, we were so close, but we got too passive after we scored and conceded a lot of chances." England will face France in Saturday's third-place match in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Argentina will face Spain in Sunday's final in New Jersey at MetLife Stadium, the first-ever meeting between the champions of Europe and South America in a World Cup final.
Argentina's win marks its seventh World Cup final, where it will seek a fourth title and a chance to join Italy and Brazil as the only countries to win back-to-back finals. It will be the first World Cup final between the top two ranked teams since FIFA rankings began in 1992.