Messi Magic Propels Defending Champions Argentina to World Cup Final After Thrilling England Showdown

Defending champions Argentina, fueled by an extraordinary performance from Lionel Messi, mounted a dramatic 2-1 comeback against arch-rivals England in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday. England Anthony Gordon had put the Three Lions ahead in the 55th minute, but late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez, both assisted by Messi, secured Argentina spot in the highly anticipated final. This thrilling victory marks Argentina return to the World Cup final, just four years after their triumph in Qatar. The Albiceleste, who have navigated a challenging path including hard-fought wins against Cape Verde and Egypt in earlier knockout rounds, showed incredible resilience to overcome a strong English side. England, under pressure to end a decades-long major tournament drought, had impressed throughout the tournament but ultimately fell short in a match many considered their best performance of the competition. Argentina now prepares to face European champions Spain in the final this Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey. Spain secured their place by defeating France 2-0 in the other semi-final. This sets up a heavyweight clash between two of the world's top-ranked teams, with Argentina aiming to become only the third nation in history to win back-to-back World Cup titles. England, meanwhile, will play France in the third-place play-off on Saturday.