Argentina celebrate hard earn victory over England
Argentina produced a shocking late comeback to defeat England 2-1 and book their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, where they will face Spain in a mouth-watering showdown for football’s biggest prize.
England looked on course for victory after substitute Anthony Gordon gave the Three Lions the lead in the 55th minute. Introduced in place of Morgan Rogers moments earlier, Gordon made an instant impact by ghosting in at the back post to slot home and put Gareth Southgate’s side in control.
The first half had ended goalless, although both teams had their moments in a fiercely contested encounter. England’s Elliot Anderson and Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez were cautioned before the interval, while Cristian Romero picked up a booking early in the second half as England pressed for the breakthrough.
Argentina, however, refused to surrender. Captain Lionel Messi turned provider in the closing stages, setting up Enzo Fernández to fire home the equaliser in the 85th minute and breathe new life into the South American giants’ hopes.
With England still reeling from the setback, Messi produced another moment of brilliance in stoppage time. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner delivered a perfectly weighted pass for Lisandro Martínez, who finished clinically in the second minute of added time to complete a remarkable turnaround and send the Argentine supporters into wild celebrations.
Rodrigo De Paul was booked deep into stoppage time as Argentina held firm through a tense finale to secure a memorable victory.
