¡Finalists! Argentina fight back vs England, face Spain in 2026 final | OneFootball

In a thrilling match played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the Argentina National Team defeated England 2-1 in the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup and booked a direct ticket to the decisive match. After a highly tactical first half with few bright moments, the excitement came in the second half. Anthony Gordon opened the scoring for the British side in the 10th minute by tapping in a cross from Morgan Rogers. From then on, England dropped back, and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford became the standout player by preserving the lead with monumental saves against the constant pressure from La Albiceleste.

The courage of Lionel Scaloni’s men paid off near the end with a dramatic late burst. In the 40th minute, Enzo Fernández unleashed a tremendous strike from outside the box to level the score. Far from settling for the draw, the reigning world champion kept up the pressure and, in the 47th minute, Lautaro Martínez became the hero by heading home a precise cross from Lionel Messi to seal the final 2-1.

With this historic victory, Argentina qualified for the grand final of the World Cup, where they will go head-to-head with Spain. The European side arrives at the final after delivering a true football masterclass by eliminating Kylian Mbappé’s France with a solid 2-0 win.

Match Facts

Lineups

Argentina: Emiliano Martínez; Nahuel Molina (Montiel), Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez (Otamendi), Nicolás Tagliafico (L. Martínez); Giuliano Simeone (De Paul), Leandro Paredes (N. González), Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández; Lionel Messi and Julián Álvarez. Head coach: Lionel Scaloni.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.