Argentina beats England 2-1 in US World Cup semifinal to reach final

Argentina beat England 2-1 in the 2026 World Cup semifinal in Atlanta, US, to set up a final against Spain. Lionel Messi provided two assists as Argentina reached its second consecutive World Cup final.

Scraper SystemJuly 16, 2026, 11:08 AM

Argentina beats England 2-1 in US World Cup semifinal to reach final

One of the finalists of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was determined on US soil. Argentina defeated England 2-1 in the semifinal match played at Atlanta Stadium in Georgia, securing a chance to win the trophy for a second consecutive time. The South American representative, who will face Spain in the final, had the match officiated by American referee Ismail Elfath.

First half ends goalless

The match began with booing protests from fans of both teams during the opposing national anthems. Although Argentina had more possession in the first half, England's defense put on an effective performance. The first serious chance came from England in the 32nd minute; John Stones' header went wide off the post. Argentina responded in the 39th minute, shaking the crossbar with a shot from outside the box by Enzo Fernández. The first half ended in a goalless draw.

England takes the lead, Argentina comes back late

Argentina started the second half applying pressure, and in the 47th minute Julián Álvarez's shot was met by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Despite this, it was England who found the goal in the 55th minute. Morgan Rogers crossed from the right wing and Anthony Gordon put the ball into the net to make it 1-0.

Falling behind, Argentina continued with an attacking game. In the 69th minute, Pickford saved Nicolás González's header from Lionel Messi's cross. In the 76th minute, Alexis Mac Allister's header hit the post. Argentina's persistent attack paid off in the 85th minute. Receiving the ball at the edge of the box from Messi's pass, Enzo Fernández fired a hard shot with his right foot to tie the score at 1-1.

In stoppage time (90+2), the winning goal arrived. After a cross from the right, Mac Allister's header came back off, and Messi redirected the ball into the box, where Lautaro Martínez headed it into the net to make it 2-1.

Messi makes history, final in New York

Lionel Messi, who provided two assists in this match, has now contributed to 12 goals in the 2026 World Cup with 8 goals and 4 assists. He became the first player since Gerd Müller (who had 13 contributions — 10 goals, 3 assists — for West Germany in 1970) to reach 12 goal contributions in a single World Cup.

Argentina will face Spain, who eliminated France with a 2-0 scoreline, in the final. The final match will be played on Sunday at New York/New Jersey Stadium. The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, is held with 48 teams from June 11 to July 19.

Argentina beats England 2-1 in US World Cup semifinal to reach final