Argentina produced a remarkable late comeback to beat England 2-1 in their FIFA World Cup semifinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, scoring twice in the closing minutes to book a place in Sunday’s final against Spain.
Lionel Scaloni’s side appeared to be heading for elimination after England took the lead through Anthony Gordon in the second half and held their advantage deep into the contest.
However, the reigning world champions showed their resilience, turning the game around with two late strikes to keep alive their hopes of defending the title they won in Qatar four years earlier.
England, chasing a first World Cup final appearance since lifting the trophy in 1966, looked on course for a famous victory after Gordon’s breakthrough.
But their inability to protect the lead proved costly as Argentina mounted relentless pressure in the closing stages.
The South Americans dominated possession after falling behind and repeatedly threatened England’s defence, only to be denied by outstanding goalkeeping from Jordan Pickford.
The England goalkeeper produced one of the saves of the tournament in the 69th minute, brilliantly denying Nico González after the winger met a perfectly delivered cross from Lionel Messi.
Pickford was called into action again seven minutes later, keeping out Alexis Mac Allister shortly after the midfielder had rattled the post.
Despite Pickford’s heroics, Argentina’s pressure finally paid off in the 86th minute when Enzo Fernández unleashed a superb long-range strike from about 20 yards that flew beyond the England goalkeeper to restore parity.
Argentina continued to push for a winner, with Mac Allister striking the woodwork for a second time in the 90th minute.
Moments later, Messi delivered another dangerous cross to the far post, where substitute Lautaro Martínez rose above the defence to head home from close range, completing a dramatic turnaround and sending the Argentine supporters into wild celebrations.
The victory sends Argentina into another World Cup final, where they will face Spain in a blockbuster showdown, while England’s long wait to return to football’s biggest stage continues.
