Riyadh, Safar 02, 1448 AH corresponding to July 16, 2026 AD (SPA) - The Argentine national team secured its place in the 2026 World Cup final after defeating its English counterpart 2-1 in the semi-final match held at the Atlanta Stadium. The first half ended in a goalless draw amid great caution from both teams, before the English team opened the scoring through Anthony Gordon in the 55th minute, putting his country on the brink of the final. The English maintained their lead until the final minutes, but the Argentine team came back strongly in crucial time, as Enzo Fernández equalized in the 85th minute with a powerful shot that brought the match back to square one. Then, substitute Lautaro Martínez snatched the winning goal with a header in the second minute of stoppage time after a precise cross from Lionel Messi. With this victory, the Argentine team continued its defense of its world title and reached the final for the second consecutive time, setting up a meeting with the Spanish team in the final match next Sunday, while the English team will face its French counterpart in the third-place match. // End // 00:36 T M 0004