2026 World Cup report, result, goals as Lionel Messi helps hosts reach final against Spain
Lionel Messi set up both goals for Argentina as the hosts recovered from 84 minutes to knock England out of the 2026 World Cup and prepare for the final against Spain.
Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute finish from Morgan Rogers put the Three Lions ahead but Enzo Fernandez’s long-range goal and Lautaro Martinez’s 92nd-minute header gave Lionel Scaloni’s side victory in Atlanta.
Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister scored before Argentina equalized and repeated the trick before winning.
La Albiceleste will meet La Roja in the final in New Jersey on Sunday (20:00 BST), while England face France in the third-place play-off in Miami the day before (22:00).
2026 World Cup: Why England lost ‘belief’ against Argentina
After a difficult first half in which neither team attempted to score, Barcelona’s new signing Gordon went close to put England on the verge of their first World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 1966.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel spoke fearlessly but his players had precious little after that point, Ezri Konsa sending Gordon on with 18 minutes remaining.
Ten minutes later, Tuchel completed three defensive changes by replacing Reece James and Dan Burn with Declan Rice and Nico O’Reilly.
“When you go 1-0 and you see the changes made by the manager, you lose hope,” said former England striker Wayne Rooney to BBC Sport.
“You think ‘we can get away with it so many times.’ But then you start thinking ‘oh no – we’re only going to last so long. How are we going to deal with this?’”
World Cup 2026: Team England vs Argentina
England have made three changes, bringing in defenders Reece James and Djed Spence and Morgan Rogers in midfield for Ezri Konsa, Nico O’Reilly and Noni Madueke.
England starting XI: Jordan Pickford, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Reece James, Djed Spence, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Harry Kane, Anthony Gordon
England substitute: Dean Henderson, James Trafford, Ezri Konsa, Nico O’Reilly, Trevoh Chalobah, Dan Burn, Jordan Henderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Ollie Watkins, Noni Madueke, Ivan Toney
World Cup 2026: Team Argentina vs England
Giuliano Simeone took off Rodrigo De Paul as Argentina’s only change came in midfield.
De Paul was concussed against Switzerland in the quarter-finals but appeared unhurt afterwards.
Argentina starting XI: Emiliano Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico, Lisandro Martinez, Cristian Romero, Nahuel Molina, Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez, Lionel Messi, Giuliano Simeone
Argentina instead: Juan Musso, Geronimo Rulli, Marcos Senesi, Gonzalo Montiel, Nicolas Otamendi, Facundo Medina, Rodrigo De Paul, Valentin Barco, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Nico Gonzalez, Thiago Almada, Nico Paz, Jose Manuel Lopez, Lautaro Martinez
World Cup 2026: England vs Argentina statistics
- England have lost three of their 14 matches against Argentina, winning six and drawing six
- One of those games was their defeat on penalties in the last 16 of the 1998 World Cup following a 2-2 draw.
- Their previous defeat against La Albiceleste in the regular season was a 2-1 defeat in the quarterfinals in Mexico City at the 1986 World Cup.
- Jude Bellingham had scored twice in his last two World Cup appearances, with only Harry Kane (4) and Gary Lineker (3) having scored more goals for the Three Lions in the competition.
- In World Cup history, the only midfielder to score at least two goals in more games than Bellingham is Peru’s Téofilo Cubillas (3)
- Argentina have reached their sixth World Cup semi-final, advancing to each of the previous five stages of this stage.
- It was the sixth time Argentina played against England in the World Cup, and they have faced Germany many times in this competition. They have also played against the Netherlands six times
- Their total of seven victories in the 2026 edition represents their longest streak in tournament history.
- Argentina failed to become the second team in World Cup history to score at least three goals in five consecutive matches, after France in 2022 and 2026.
- With 19 goals in this year’s World Cup, Argentina have scored the most goals of any team and bettered their best total of 18, which they managed in the final in 1930.
