Argentina advances to 2026 World Cup Final and faces Spain on Sunday

After the break, the match quickly picked up pace. In the 55th minute, Anthony Gordon, who had only recently been signed from Newcastle by FC Barcelona for around 70 million euros, put the "Three Lions" ahead 1-0. Morgan Rogers had controlled the ball after a high cross from Harry Kane and laid it off, and Gordon finished from close range against the Argentines.

England, coached by Thomas Tuchel, then tried to manage the lead rather than continue to press forward offensively. Argentina, which, as in the legendary 1986 quarterfinal victory, took to the field in dark blue jerseys, meanwhile launched attack after attack in the closing stages. Coach Lionel Scaloni made consistent attacking substitutions.

The turning point: Messi provides two assists

The equalizer came in the 85th minute: after a short corner kick, Lionel Messi laid the ball off to Enzo Fernández, who struck powerfully from around 20 meters in a central position into the top-left corner. Just six minutes later, in stoppage time of the second half, Lautaro Martínez crowned his World Cup tournament: Messi crossed with his weaker right foot, Martínez headed it in – 2-1 for Argentina.

Before that, Argentina had already created several high-quality chances: Alexis Mac Allister (76th minute) headed against the post, substitute Nicolás González (69th minute) headed narrowly past the goal from an acute angle, and Julián Álvarez (47th minute) was initially denied by Jordan Pickford before putting his follow-up shot into the side netting. England also had dangerous moments through Reece James (36th minute) and other long-range efforts.

Lionel Messi directly assisted both Argentine goals and thus stands on the verge of his third World Cup final after 2014 and 2022. The 39-year-old, who plays alongside Inter Miami strike partner Martínez for the national team, spoke of a very special evening after the match: "Es ist etwas Besonderes, weil England eine große Mannschaft und eine Fußball-Großmacht ist," said Messi. Head coach Lionel Scaloni added: "Diese Gruppe überrascht mich immer wieder aufs Neue. Es ist schwierig zu erklären. Schaut euch diese Fans an. Wir sind einzigartig, das ist keine Arroganz. Dieses Trikot gibt alles bis zum Ende, lässt alle Kräfte auf dem Platz."

England misses out on first World Cup Final in 60 years

For England, captain Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, the congenial duo of the "Three Lions," were at the center of attention. Kane had set up Gordon's 1-0, while Bellingham fought with his customary self-sacrifice as always. England thus misses out on reaching a World Cup final for the first time since their 1966 title win – the "Three Lions" have now been waiting 60 years for a second star.

Referee Ismail Elfath from the USA officiated the match. Yellow cards were shown to Elliot Anderson (England, 37th minute/foul on Messi), Lisandro Martínez, Cristian Romero, and Rodrigo De Paul (all Argentina). Reece James returned to the starting lineup after a thigh injury; Tuchel also rotated on the wide positions with Djed Spence and Morgan Rogers.

The match already carried a special historical tension beforehand: between England and Argentina lies the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal with Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" and his goal of the century, the 1998 penalty shootout following David Beckham's sending-off, as well as England's 1-0 victory in 2002. The Falklands War of 1982 was also a topic beforehand – Scaloni had, however, stressed before the match: "Es ist ein Fußballspiel. Punkt. Mehr ist es nicht."

Historical tension: 1986, 1998, and the Falklands War

In the quarterfinal, England had edged past Norway 2-1 after extra time and lost a great deal of energy in the process. Tuchel had subsequently demanded more quality of play from his team: "Wir haben einen Weg gefunden und stehen im Halbfinale. Aber wir können und müssen besseren Fußball spielen." His team met that demand in phases, but in the end it was not enough.

Harry Kane expressed deep disappointment after the elimination: "Wir haben alles gegeben, Blut, Schweiß und Tränen. Aber es hat nicht gereicht." The FC Bayern Munich striker is one of 18 Munich players released for the 2026 World Cup – following the semifinal exit of the French (with Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano), Kane is the last remaining Munich player with a chance of reaching the final.

Argentina faces Spain on Sunday (kickoff 9 p.m., SRF live) in the final at East Rutherford near New York. The Iberians had defeated France 2-0 (1-0) on Tuesday evening in the second semifinal; the goals were scored by Mikel Oyarzabal (22nd minute, penalty) and Pedro Porro (58th minute). It is Spain's first World Cup final since 2010 and Lionel Messi's third World Cup final.

Outlook: Spain awaits in the New York final

Before the semifinal between France and Spain, at France's request and with the approval of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, a minute's silence was held to commemorate the victims of the terror attack in Nice on July 14. France's national team coach Didier Deschamps – who with the semifinal against Spain overtook Helmut Schön as the record World Cup coach (26th World Cup match – congratulated the Spanish team fairly.

Ahead of the duel, Spain's young star Lamine Yamal, who celebrated his 19th birthday on Monday, had issued a battle cry to France: "Wenn jemand Angst haben sollte, dann sie." His Spanish captain Rodri then took the teenager under his wing: "Er ist sehr selbstkritisch und stellt hohe Ansprüche an sich selbst." France's team captain responded with a view to the upcoming task: "Sie verteidigen sehr stark, aber sie können auch angreifen."

Third-place match: England faces France

England plays France on Saturday evening (11:00 p.m.) in Miami for third place. For Tuchel and the "Three Lions," only the minimum goal remains: to finish the tournament with a place on the podium. Argentina, on the other hand – as in 1978, 1986, and 2022 – once again has the chance of a fourth star. Coach Scaloni summed up the mission with a view to the final succinctly: "Leid ist Teil unserer DNA."