Messi, Argentina stun England late to reach final
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- Argentina beat England 2-1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with Enzo Fernández equalizing in the 85th minute off a 20-yard shot and Martínez heading in the winner in the 92nd minute from Messi's cross.
- Lionel Messi assisted both goals, bringing his World Cup knockout-stage assist total to 10 — six more than any other player in at least the past 60 years — and extending his streak of a goal or assist in 11 consecutive World Cup games dating to 2022.
- Anthony Gordon scored England's lone goal in the second half, and coach Thomas Tuchel conceded to the BBC the team "got too passive" after taking the lead and "conceded a lot of chances."
- Argentina became the first team in World Cup history to score multiple winning goals in second-half stoppage time in a single tournament, having also done so against Egypt in the round of 16.
- Argentina will face Spain in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday in the first World Cup final between the reigning European and South American champions and the first between the top two FIFA-ranked teams since rankings began in 1992.
- Argentina seeks a fourth title and a place alongside Italy (1934, 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962) as the only teams to win back-to-back World Cups; England will meet France in Saturday's third-place game in Miami Gardens.
Why it matters: Sunday's final will either crown Argentina as the first back-to-back World Cup champion since 1962 or give Spain its first-ever title, while England's loss extends a 58-year wait — dating to their 1966 triumph — for a second final appearance. Argentina's late-goal resilience (now two stoppage-time winners this tournament) has carried them past the same fragility that has historically undone them.
