Messi celebrates as Argentina reaches World Cup final after England win

Argentina reached the FIFA World Cup 2026 final after a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over England. Lionel Messi assisted the late goals for Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez, sealing a final clash against Spain.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi shared his joy on social media after his team completed a dramatic comeback to defeat England 2-1 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal in Atlanta on Wednesday (local time). In a post on Instagram, Messi celebrated Argentina's qualification for the World Cup final, praising the team's resilience and performance while thanking supporters for their continued belief in the squad. He said, "WE'RE IN THE FINAL!!!!! We dug deep once again to put in another great performance. A huge thank you to everyone who believed in this group!!! Let's go Argentina!!!!" View this post on Instagram A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

The result sent Argentina into the World Cup 2026 final, where they will face Spain on Sunday, July 19 (local time), while England's hopes of reaching their first World Cup final since 1966 came to a heartbreaking end.

Dramatic Comeback Seals Final Berth

In the match, the defending champions produced a stunning late comeback. The first half was a tightly contested battle, with both teams fighting for midfield control and creating limited clear chances. England eventually broke the deadlock in the 55th minute when Anthony Gordon finished Morgan Rogers' cross to put the Three Lions ahead.

After taking the lead, England dropped deeper defensively, allowing Argentina to build pressure. The defending champions responded strongly, with Jordan Pickford making key saves and Alexis Mac Allister hitting the post before Argentina found the equaliser. In the 85th minute, Enzo Fernandez struck after receiving a pass from Lionel Messi to level the match.

Argentina completed their comeback in stoppage time when Messi delivered a cross for Lautaro Martinez, who headed home the winner. Despite England's late efforts, Argentina held on to reach the final.

England will now face France in the third-place match, while Argentina will meet Spain for the title. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)