Lionel Messi delivered two assists as Argentina staged a dramatic comeback to defeat England 2-1 in the 2026 World Cup semi-final, setting up a showdown with Spain in Sunday's final.
England appeared to be on course for glory after Anthony Gordon opened the scoring with a well-taken finish following a slick move involving Morgan Rogers and Declan Rice. Djed Spence, not always a guaranteed starter at this tournament, then produced a perfectly-timed tackle to deny Argentina an immediate equaliser.
However, Thomas Tuchel's side sat deep after taking the lead, and Argentina punished them ruthlessly in the closing stages. Alexis Mac Allister struck the post and forced a save from Jordan Pickford as the pressure mounted. Then, with around five minutes remaining, Enzo Fernandez unleashed a stunning strike to level the scores at 1-1.
With nine minutes of stoppage time added, Messi turned provider once more, setting up Lautaro Martinez to score with a lovely header that completed the comeback and ended England's World Cup dream. Earlier in the match, Mac Allister had hit the post before another Messi assist teed up Martinez for the winner.
Jude Bellingham appeared visibly frustrated with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford on one of the Argentina goals, with footage circulating that seemed to show the midfielder directing blame toward his keeper.
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni was emotional in his post-match comments: "Well, I'm lost for words. A great happiness for our country and our people. And another great happiness for this group who never stop surprising me and never know when they are beaten."
Scaloni added: "We are unique. It's not arrogance, it is all heart. Today so many people arrived here to support us and for that I am truly grateful – they helped us to victory. This shirt merits us giving absolutely everything possible until the very end. To not spare anything at all."
England manager Tuchel insisted he had "no regrets" over his tactical approach, though he faced heavy criticism from fans, pundits, and journalists for his negative setup after taking the lead. One fan summed up the sentiment: "Bringing on a lot of defenders, we were asking for it."
Captain Harry Kane described the defeat as "gutting," praising the "blood, sweat and tears" of his teammates. The Bayern Munich striker made his 121st England appearance in the match, becoming the most-capped outfield player in the national team's history and moving to within four caps of Peter Shilton's all-time appearance record.
The first half had ended goalless, with Fernandez striking just over the bar and England creating a couple of chances from free-kicks. Tuchel's lineup featured Pickford in goal, with Reece James, John Stones, Marc Guehi, and Spence across the back, Rice and Anderson in midfield, Rogers, Bellingham, and Gordon behind Kane.
Rogers earned a start on the right wing after Noni Madueke failed to convince in earlier rounds and Bukayo Saka was not fully fit throughout the tournament. Before the match, Rice had singled out Rogers as "incredible" as he came into the starting lineup.
Wayne Rooney had predicted before kickoff that Kane could "destroy" Argentina centre-backs Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero, while Guehi insisted all the pressure was on the reigning world champions. In the end, it was Messi's magic that proved decisive.
Argentina will now face Spain in the World Cup final, while England meet France in the third-place playoff.