Lionel Messi set up both Argentina goals as the holders recovered from being behind after 84 minutes to knock England out of the World Cup 2026 and set up a final against Spain.
Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute finish from Morgan Rogers’ cross put the Three Lions ahead but Enzo Fernandez’s long-range strike and Lautaro Martinez’s 92nd-minute header gave Lionel Scaloni’s side victory in Atlanta.
Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister headed against a post before Argentina’s equaliser and repeated the trick before the winner.
La Albiceleste will meet La Roja in the decider in New Jersey on Sunday (20:00 BST), while England will face France in the third-placed play-off in Miami a day earlier (22:00).
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World Cup 2026: Why England lost ‘belief’ vs Argentina
After a tetchy first half in which neither team had an attempt on target, new Barcelona signing Gordon swept in from close range to put England tantalisingly close to a first World Cup final since they lifted the trophy in 1966.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel had spoken of fearlessness but his players had precious little possession after that point, with Ezri Konsa sent on for Gordon with 18 minutes remaining.
Ten minutes later, Tuchel completed a trio of defensive substitutions by replacing Reece James and Dan Burn with Declan Rice and Nico O’Reilly.
“If you go 1-0 up and then you see the changes which the manager’s making, you lose belief in it,” former England striker Wayne Rooney told BBC Sport.
“You’re thinking ‘it’s only so many times can we get away with it.’ But then you start thinking ‘oh no – we’re going to sit back for this long. How are we going to get through this?'”
World Cup 2026: England team vs Argentina
England made three changes, bringing in full-backs Reece James and Djed Spence and midfielder Morgan Rogers for Ezri Konsa, Nico O’Reilly and Noni Madueke.
England starting XI: Jordan Pickford, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Reece James, Djed Spence, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Harry Kane, Anthony Gordon
England substitutes: Dean Henderson, James Trafford, Ezri Konsa, Nico O’Reilly, Trevoh Chalobah, Dan Burn, Jordan Henderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Ollie Watkins, Noni Madueke, Ivan Toney
World Cup 2026: Argentina team vs England
Giuliano Simeone supplanted Rodrigo De Paul as Argentina’s one change came in midfield.
De Paul sustained a cut during a challenge against Switzerland during the quarter-finals but did not appear to be injured afterwards.
Argentina starting XI: Emiliano Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico, Lisandro Martinez, Cristian Romero, Nahuel Molina, Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez, Lionel Messi, Giuliano Simeone
Argentina substitutes: Juan Musso, Geronimo Rulli, Marcos Senesi, Gonzalo Montiel, Nicolas Otamendi, Facundo Medina, Rodrigo De Paul, Valentin Barco, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Nico Gonzalez, Thiago Almada, Nico Paz, Jose Manuel Lopez, Lautaro Martinez
World Cup 2026: England vs Argentina stats
- England have lost three of their 14 internationals against Argentina, winning six and drawing the other six
- One of those draws was their penalty shootout defeat in the last 16 at the World Cup 1998 following a 2-2 draw
- Their previous loss to La Albiceleste in regular time was a 2-1 quarter-final defeat in Mexico City at the World Cup 1986
- Jude Bellingham had scored twice in each of his previous two World Cup appearances, with only Harry Kane (4) and Gary Lineker (3) ever having more matches in which they scored at least two goals for the Three Lions in the competition
- In World Cup history, the only midfielder with to score at least two goals in more games than Bellingham is Peru’s Téofilo Cubillas (3)
- Argentina were in their sixth World Cup semi-final, progressing from each of their preceding five ties at this stage
- This was the sixth time Argentina have played England at the World Cup, only ever facing Germany more times in the competition. They have also played the Netherlands six times
- Their total of seven wins at the 2026 edition represents their longest outright winning run in tournament history
- Argentina failed to become the second side in World Cup history to net at least three goals in five consecutive matches, after France across the 2022 and 2026 editions
- With 19 goals at this year’s World Cup, Argentina have scored the most of any team and bettered their best-ever tally of 18, which they managed at the 1930 finals
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