Lautaro Martinez scored the match-winning goal in the 92nd minute as World Cup defending champions Argentina defeated England 2-1 on Wednesday thanks to a spectacular comeback led by Lionel Messi, which set up a final matchup with European champions Spain.
In front of 68,239 spectators in Atlanta, Anthony Gordon put England ahead ten minutes after halftime in the semifinal, putting them on track to make it to their first World Cup final since 1966.
However, the intense rivalry between both countries has resulted in a number of spectacular World Cup matches throughout the years. Argentina will remember this as the stuff of legends, as the South Americans defeated England with two late, unexpected blows.
With extra time approaching, Messi set up Enzo Fernandez to equalize in the 85th minute, and in the second minute of stoppage time, he crossed for substitute Lautaro Martinez to head in the winning goal.
Although it may not have been as spectacular as Diego Maradona’s historic performance in defeating England in 1986, the goals this time revived Argentina and preserved their chances of winning consecutive World Cups.
Messi will be the second player, after the legendary Brazilian Cafu, to participate in three World Cup finals. No team has won the title since Brazil in 1962.
The first 48-team World Cup will be a contest between the current champions of Europe and South America, and it will take place on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Messi will now play his first competitive match against Spain after waiting until he was 39 to play against England. When he led Argentina to victory in Qatar in 2022, his career seemed to be finished, but he is obviously not finished yet.
But when England travel to Miami to play France in the third-place playoff on Saturday—a match that neither team will want to play—they will be filled with deep regrets. They came so close to making their first World Cup final appearance since their lone victory 60 years ago, but they will regret not attacking following Gordon’s opening goal.
Jude Bellingham and captain Harry Kane have been crucial players for Thomas Tuchel’s team this season, but they fell short this time, as England players collapsed at the end.
This was always going to be a game with an advantage because of the long-standing rivalry between both countries, and there was a palpable sense of tension at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Argentina’s players were obviously motivated, both by a feeling of the importance of this match and by a desire to maintain their World Cup title.
This resulted in a tense match that was marred by first-half fouls, notably Elliot Anderson’s booking for cutting Messi. England scored in the 55th minute after there were no significant opportunities during the first half.
As the ball eventually found its way to Morgan Rogers on the right, Kane was engaged in the build-up. He whipped in a low cross towards the back post, where Gordon sneaked in front of Nahuel Molina to score.
However, Argentina who had made an incredible comeback from a 0-2 deficit to defeat Egypt in the round of 16 in this stadium, and they weren’t done.
They threw everything at their opponents; in the 76th minute, Alexis Mac Allister was denied by the post after Jordan Pickford produced a fantastic save from a header by Nico Gonzalez.
Pickford denied Fernandez from range, but a few seconds later he equalized by controlling a Messi ball on the edge of the box and letting it fly past the goalie.
Argentina sensed blood, and before England could clear, Mac Allister struck the post once more. Lautaro Martinez then headed in the winner from a beautiful Messi cross, igniting wild celebrations and leaving England utterly dejected.
