Argentina fought back from a goal down to defeat England 2-1 on Wednesday, securing a place in Sunday’s World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, where they will face Spain.
England broke the deadlock in the 55th minute through Anthony Gordon, who finished off a cross from Morgan Rogers to give the Three Lions the advantage in a fiercely contested encounter.
However, the defending champions responded late in the game. Enzo Fernández levelled the score with a superb strike from outside the box in the 85th minute before substitute Lautaro Martínez headed home in stoppage time to complete Argentina’s dramatic comeback.
Lionel Messi, 39, remains in pursuit of a second straight World Cup title with Argentina. The legendary forward has scored eight goals in the tournament and is one of only two players, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, to feature in six men’s World Cups.
England, who were hoping to lift their first World Cup trophy since 1966, saw their campaign end despite taking the lead. The historic rivalry between both nations, highlighted by Diego Maradona’s famous “Hand of God” goal at the 1986 World Cup, added extra intensity to the semifinal.
Argentina will now face Spain in Sunday’s final after the Spaniards defeated France 2-0 in the other semifinal. England will take on France in Saturday’s third-place playoff.
The opening half ended goalless but was dominated by physical battles, with both sides committing 19 fouls and receiving two yellow cards. Referee Ismail Elfath briefly halted play early in the match in an attempt to calm tensions, but the heated contest continued throughout.
Ahead of the match, Argentina’s Security Minister, Alejandra Monteoliva, announced that fans would not be allowed to bring flags or banners featuring images of the Falkland Islands into the stadium.
