England looked set for a place in the finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Anthony Gordon’s goal in the 55th minute gave Thomas Tuchel’s side the lead, and as the clock ticked down, England did what they had done against Norway and Mexico earlier in the tournament, they protected the lead.But against Lionel Messi and Argentina, that plan only lasted so long.Messi made two assists in the final minutes as Argentina came from behind to beat England 2-1 on Wednesday (local time) and book a place in Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain. Enzo Fernandez equalized in the 85th minute, before Lautaro Martinez headed home Messi’s cross in the second minute of stoppage time to complete another comeback for Argentina.It was another example of Argentina finding a way late in games. They have now scored 11 goals after the 75th minute in this tournament.For most of the first 60 minutes in the game, England had managed Messi well. Tuchel’s side packed central areas whenever Argentina built from the back. Elliot Anderson stood by Messi every time the ball was played into him, refusing to allow the Argentine captain to turn. England also ensured they always had numbers around midfield, with Harry Kane regularly dropping deeper to help close down passing lanes.It made life uncomfortable for Messi. By half-time, the 39-year-old had lost possession 15 times, more than in the first 45 minutes of any game he had played in the previous two World Cup or Copa America tournaments. Neither side was willing to take unnecessary risks. The opening half produced only three shots, while the physical battle resulted in 19 fouls as both teams tried to deny space instead of creating it.Even after Gordon’s goal, England continued to deny Messi space. By the 60th minute, he had only created one chance, while none of his three crosses had reached a teammate.But the game has slowly changed.
England’s bid to hang on from an Argentine masterclass
Trying to protect their leader, England retreated deeper and deeper. Tuchel made changes to strengthen the defense, but those substitutions also invited Argentina forward. Between Gordon’s goal and Lautaro Martinez’s winner, England had just 12 percent possession.That allowed Messi and his troops to dictate the game.Instead of receiving the ball in crowded central areas, he started drifting into wider positions where he had more time and space. Argentina also found more space through Rodrigo De Paul and Alexis Mac Allister, stretching England’s compact defensive shape.About 10 minutes before the equaliser, De Paul crossed from the right which found Mac Allister, whose effort hit the post. It served as a warning that England were struggling to get out of their own half.Shortly after, Argentina created another chance. While eight outfield players from England were positioned around their own penalty area to mark only three Argentine forwards, Enzo Fernandez, Messi and De Paul were left with space outside the box.Fernandez collected the ball, drove forward and forced Jordan Pickford into a save. The resulting corner eventually led to Argentina’s equalizer in the 85th minute.
To protect the lead, England edged closer and closer to their own goal, hoping to build the kind of impenetrable wall they had when they held on to beat Mexico in the round of 16 despite being down to 10 players.Tuchel had swapped defender Reece James for Dan Burn, and midfielder Declan Rice for defender Nico O’Reilly in the 82nd minute.The equalizer came exactly in the area England had left exposed.Messi collected the ball on the right and found Fernandez outside the penalty area. Jude Bellingham, who was showing signs of fatigue, couldn’t close it down quickly enough as the Chelsea midfielder struck from distance to make it 1-1.With nine minutes of stoppage time added, Scaloni’s players continued to push forward as England struggled to move their defensive line higher up the pitch.The decisive moment came in the second minute of added time.Argentina kept coming and England’s wall kept crumbling. The defending champions hit the crossbar and missed another goal-mouth header before Martinez finally sealed it with a powerful close-range header when the England defenders lost him to a Messi cross. Lautaro Martinez timed his run perfectly, rose above his marker and past Pickford to send Argentina into another World Cup final.England had secured goals against Mexico and Norway earlier in the tournament by relying on their defensive form. Against Argentina, however, sitting alone increased the pressure.By conceding territory, England allowed Messi to influence the game. Argentina kept moving the ball, kept stretching the defense and eventually found the openings they needed.“They know they’re tired,” Martinez said after the game. “He pressed for 60 minutes and then just ran out of steam. They got their goal and then they sat down. That gave us more composure to move the ball and extend the field.”