Lionel Messi guides Argentina past England to World Cup final

Argentina overturned a 1‑0 deficit to defeat England 2‑1 in the World Cup 2026 semifinal in Atlanta. Enzo Fernández equalised in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martínez scored the winner in stoppage time, both from assists by captain Lionel Messi.

Messi celebrated the comeback on the pitch and on social media, posting the same Instagram message he used after the 2022 semi‑final win – “¡A LA FINAL! … ¡Vamos Argentina, carajo!” – which quickly went viral. He dedicated the victory to the Argentine people suffering under the country’s economic crisis, saying “no one gave us anything” and also paid tribute to Diego Maradona, noting that the late legend would be proud.

In a post‑match interview Messi rejected claims of FIFA favoritism, insisting the team earned the result through hard work. Midfielder Enzo Fernández, in a separate interview, thanked God for helping him overcome fear, linking his faith to his performance.

England’s early lead came from Anthony Gordon, but manager Thomas Tuchel’s defensive substitutions turned the side into a deep‑sitting “park‑the‑bus” formation, reducing possession to 12 % and allowing Argentina to dominate the final phases.