On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, Argentina staged a thrilling comeback to defeat England 2-1 in the FIFA World Cup semifinal at Atlanta Stadium, keeping their hopes alive to repeat as champions.

The match remained scoreless for 85 minutes until Lionel Messi provided a key assist to Enzo Fernandez, who skillfully curled a shot around England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to equalize the game at 1-1. England had initially taken the lead and managed to hold off Argentina’s persistent pressure for about 30 minutes.

In stoppage time, Lautaro Martinez emerged as the hero by scoring the winning goal. Messi recorded his second assist by delivering a precise pass into the penalty area, where Martinez was unmarked and finished decisively in the 92nd minute.

The first half was notably uneventful, marking the first World Cup game since 1966 in which neither team registered a shot, according to the FOX broadcast. England’s goalkeeper Pickford, the country’s all-time leader in World Cup appearances, made a remarkable goal-line save just before the hydration break to maintain England’s 1-0 advantage.

With this victory, Argentina advances to the World Cup final to face Spain.

Sources