Messi’s Last-Minute Brilliance Shatters England’s World Cup Hopes in Atlanta
The reigning champions, Argentina, staged a thrilling late rally to secure their spot in a second consecutive FIFA World Cup final, overcoming England 2-1 at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday night.
This win marked Argentina’s second comeback during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Earlier in the tournament, they had rallied from a two-goal deficit to triumph over Egypt 3-2, once again showcasing their tenacity on football’s grandest stage.
The semi-final was also the sixth World Cup clash between Argentina and England, with previous encounters dating back to 1962, 1966, 1986, 1998, and 2002. Their most memorable match occurred in the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, highlighted by Diego Maradona’s notorious “Hand of God” goal and his remarkable “Goal of the Century.”
Argentina is now just one victory away from securing their fourth FIFA World Cup title, having previously won the trophy in 1978, 1986, and 2022. Captain Lionel Messi, who led his nation to glory in Qatar four years ago, was named the Best Player of the tournament on that occasion.
On the other hand, England were aiming to conclude a 60-year wait for a second World Cup triumph, their only success remaining the 1966 win against West Germany at home.
With this victory, Argentina moved on to Sunday’s World Cup final, set to face Spain after La Roja’s 2-0 win over France in the other semi-final. England will now compete against France in Saturday’s third-place playoff.
The match exploded into action right away, with both teams crafting promising chances in the first 20 minutes. However, neither could find the net as both defenses held strong and organized.
England came closest to scoring in the 36th minute when Reece James curled a threatening free-kick from the left edge of the penalty area, but Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez made a stunning save, keeping the score at 0-0 as they entered halftime.
The stalemate was broken 10 minutes into the second half. Morgan Rogers delivered a precise cross into the box, and Anthony Gordon capitalized, striking a right-footed shot into the bottom-left corner from close range to give England a well-deserved 1-0 lead.
The Three Lions nearly extended their lead in the 65th minute when Declan Rice fired a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, but once again, Martínez came to Argentina’s rescue with another exceptional save.
Argentina gradually began to assert themselves and threatened in the 68th minute when Messi delivered a teasing cross into the box for Nico González, whose strong header was comfortably saved by Jordan Pickford.
The defending champions’ efforts finally paid off in the 85th minute. After a corner, Messi found Enzo Fernández on the edge of the area, and the midfielder launched a brilliant right-footed shot into the net, leveling the score.
With the momentum on their side, Argentina continued to press for a winner, and their persistence was rewarded deep into stoppage time.
Once again, Messi played a pivotal role, sending in a perfectly weighted cross that Lautaro Martínez converted with a close-range header, completing a stunning comeback to secure a 2-1 victory and sending the defending champions to their second successive FIFA World Cup final.
Argentina is now poised to defend the title they won in Qatar four years ago, facing Spain in what is sure to be an exciting World Cup final on Sunday.
