Argentina rallies past England, reaches seventh World Cup final

Lautaro Martínez came off the bench and scored in the 90+2 minute to push Argentina past England 2-1 in the World Cup semifinal at Atlanta Stadium, sending the holders into their seventh final and a second straight shot at the title. Enzo Fernández had leveled the match in the 85th minute after Anthony Gordon put England ahead at 55 minutes.

Argentina will play Spain in Sunday’s final in New Jersey, while England moves on to the third-place match against France. The result extended Argentina’s hold on the tournament and denied England a first World Cup final since 1966, despite what had looked like a path to the match that mattered most.

The Argentine reaction carried the confidence of a team that has made late pressure feel routine. Giuliano Simeone, one of the newcomers in the squad, had already fought back from a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle suffered in August 2023, and his presence in the tournament underscored how far this group has stretched its depth. Lautaro, who entered in the 81st minute and finished the comeback, later described the goal as the fulfillment of a childhood dream, a personal release matched by the collective relief around the bench.

Leandro Paredes also shared his emotions after the final whistle, as Argentina’s players moved from relief to anticipation in a matter of minutes. The national team now stands one win from retaining the trophy it took in Qatar 2022, with Lionel Scaloni’s side carrying momentum into a final that will test its ability to close another tournament under pressure.

For England, the afternoon ended in a familiar and painful place, with Thomas Tuchel left to assess another near miss. He said the team “gave everything” and that he had “No regrets,” but he also conceded England became “too passive” after Gordon’s opener and lost control of the match as crosses and late chances piled up around its penalty area. The late collapse turned a lead that had seemed to point toward history into another steep climb toward the next cycle.