Joy of Argentine players at the comeback and qualification

Thursday, July 16, 2026

Al Jazeera - Sports:

Argentina booked their place in the 2026 World Cup final after a thrilling 2-1 victory over England in the semi-final held at the Atlanta stadium, continuing their title defense and moving closer to a new global achievement.

The Argentine victory came through a historic and thrilling comeback, as they were trailing by a goal until the 84th minute before Messi and his teammates rose up and scored two consecutive goals in the 85th and 90+2 minutes, earning a deserved win and reaching the final for the second consecutive time.

The first half was characterized by caution, technical parity, and tension from both sides, and that continued into the second half before England opened the scoring through Anthony Gordon (55'), putting the Three Lions ahead and bringing them closer to the final. However, Argentina refused to surrender and imposed their control in the final minutes, before Enzo Fernández equalized with a powerful shot that brought the match back to square one (85'). As the game was heading to extra time, Lautaro Martínez snatched the winning goal with a superb header in stoppage time, benefiting from a precise pass from captain Lionel Messi (90+2'), igniting joy among Argentine fans and granting his country's team the ticket to the final.

With this win, Argentina continues their impressive run in the tournament and sets up a highly anticipated meeting with Spain in the longest World Cup final, seeking to retain their title despite facing one of the tournament's strongest teams. Meanwhile, England will have to settle for the third-place match against France after their journey ended at the semi-final stage.