Argentina beats England 2-1 to reach second consecutive World Cup final

Argentina defeated England 2-1 in the semifinal match at Atlanta Stadium in the US state of Georgia. Argentina, who will face Spain in the final, reached the World Cup final for the second consecutive time.

Scraper SystemJuly 16, 2026, 11:49 AM

Argentina beats England 2-1 to reach second consecutive World Cup final

In the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal, Argentina defeated England 2-1 to advance to the final. In the match played at Atlanta Stadium and officiated by American referee Ismail Elfath, Argentina came from behind to win with goals scored in the final minutes.

Goalless first half

The first half started cautiously. Fans of both teams whistled during the opposing national anthems as a protest. Although Argentina had more possession, the English defense shut down routes to goal. No shots on target were recorded in the first 30 minutes.

The first serious threat came from England in the 32nd minute: John Stones' header from inside the penalty area went past the post and out for a goal kick. Argentina responded in the 39th minute with a powerful shot from outside the box by Enzo Fernández; the ball sailed just over the crossbar. The half ended 0-0.

England takes lead, Argentina hits back

Argentina started the second half quickly, coming close to scoring in the 47th minute through Julián Álvarez, but goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved the shot from a tight angle. Despite Argentina's pressure, England took the lead in the 55th minute: Morgan Rogers' cross from the right was finished by Anthony Gordon with a one-touch strike into the net.

Trailing, Argentina continued to push forward. In the 69th minute, Nicolás González headed a cross from Lionel Messi on the left wing into the box, but Pickford again denied the goal. In the 76th minute, Alexis Mac Allister's header hit the post.

Argentina's pressure paid off in the 85th minute. Receiving the ball just outside the arc from a Messi pass, Enzo Fernández fired a powerful right-footed shot past the goalkeeper into the top right corner, leveling the score at 1-1.

In stoppage time (90+2), Argentina snatched the victory. A cross from the right was headed by Mac Allister; the ball came off the post, Messi swung the ball back into the area, and Lautaro Martínez's header bulged the net: 2-1.

Canlı Anlatım | İngiltere - Arjantin (2026 Dünya Kupası yarı final maçı) - Son Dakika Spor Haberleri

Messi sets historic record

With two assists in this match, Lionel Messi now has 8 goals and 4 assists in the 2026 World Cup, contributing to 12 goals in total. He became the first player since Gerd Müller in 1970 (10 goals, 3 assists for West Germany) to record the highest goal involvements in a single World Cup.

Argentina will face Spain in the final of the 23rd World Cup, who eliminated France 2-0. The final will be played on Sunday at New York/New Jersey Stadium. The tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, features 48 teams from June 11 to July 19.

Argentina beats England 2-1 to reach second consecutive World Cup final