Argentina scores twice late to beat England 2-1 in World Cup semi-final

Argentina defeated England 2-1 in the semi-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 15 in Atlanta. Enzo Fernández equalized in the 86th minute and Lautaro Martínez scored the winner in stoppage time after Lionel Messi provided the assist. England had taken the lead through Anthony Gordon in the 55th minute.

The team had reached the semi-final after a 2-1 quarter-final win over Norway in Miami. Thomas Tuchel managed England, which switched to a back five formation in the final quarter. The first shot on goal came in the 33rd minute when John Stones headed wide from a Declan Rice free-kick.

Elliot Anderson was booked during the match. Djed Spence started at left-back and Morgan Rogers started at right midfield for England. Ezri Konsa entered as a substitute for Gordon. England's expected goals after the first half stood at 0.05 while Argentina's stood at 0.03.

Jude Bellingham has scored six goals in the tournament, the New York Post reported. Thomas Tuchel and Anthony Barry signed contracts to manage England until 2028, BBC Sport reported. The pair had about 50 days of training time with players before the tournament.

If England had reached the final it would have contested six matches across 22 days, BBC Sport reported. The Atlanta Police Department will deploy additional officers around the stadium and city entertainment districts before and after the match, The Guardian reported. The match kicked off at 20:00 BST, BBC reported.