TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Argentina national team secured their place in the 2026 World Cup final after coming back to defeat England 2-1 in the semifinal match at the Atlanta Stadium on the early morning of Thursday, July 16, 2026, Jakarta time.
This victory has led La Albiceleste to face Spain in the final match. Previously, under the guidance of Luis de la Fuente, the team advanced to the final after eliminating France with a 2-0 win.
Argentina dominated the game with 65 percent ball possession. Led by Lionel Scaloni, the team also recorded 15 shots, five of which were on target. Meanwhile, England only managed to release five shots, with two on target.
Despite dominating the game, Argentina fell behind early in the 55th minute. Morgan Rogers delivered a cross that was finished by Anthony Gordon, giving England a 1-0 lead.
After falling behind, Argentina intensified their attacks. Jordan Pickford made several crucial saves, including thwarting Enzo Fernandez's shot in the 85th minute and Nicolas Gonzalez's header in the 69th minute.
The equalizing goal finally came in the 85th minute. Lionel Messi delivered a pass to Enzo Fernandez, who was standing on the edge of the penalty area. The Chelsea midfielder took a low shot to the left side of the goal, which Pickford couldn't stop.
As the match seemed to head into extra time, Argentina scored the winning goal in injury time. In the 90+2 minute, Messi once again became the creator with a cross that was met by Lautaro Martinez's header into the empty net, changing the score to 2-1.
England was unable to respond in the remaining time of the match. Referee Ismail Elfath blew the final whistle after nine minutes of additional time, ensuring Argentina's return to the World Cup final.
Match lineup:
England (4-2-3-1): Jordan Pickford; Reece James (Dan Burn), John Stones (Ivan Toney), Marc Guehi, Djed Spence (Marcus Rashford); Declan Rice (Nico O'Reilly), Elliot Anderson; Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon (Ezri Konsa); Harry Kane.
Argentina (4-4-2): Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina (Gonzalo Montiel), Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez (Nicolas Otamendi), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lautaro Martinez); Leandro Paredes (Nicolas Gonzalez), Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Giuliano Simeone (Rodrigo De Paul); Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez.
Read: England vs Argentina: Who Has the Better Head-to-Head Record?
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