Argentina came from behind to break England: Messi's two assists sent the champions into the World Cup final
England will not play in the 2026 World Cup final after losing 2:1 to Argentina in Atlanta on 15 July, even though it held the lead and controlled the score until the final five minutes of regular time. Thomas Tuchel's team went ahead through Anthony Gordon's goal in the 55th minute, but the reigning world champions responded late on, when Enzo Fernández equalised with a powerful strike from the edge of the penalty area and Lautaro Martínez headed in the winning goal during stoppage time. According to FIFA's report and the official match record of the English Football Association, Lionel Messi was involved in both decisive moves and guided Argentina towards a second consecutive final with two assists. Argentina will play Spain on 19 July at New York New Jersey Stadium, after Spain defeated France 2:0 in the other semi-final. England is left with the third-place match against France in Miami on 18 July.
The defeat is particularly painful for England because the final was only a few minutes away. The national team, which has been waiting for a world title since 1966, played a disciplined first part of the match, took the lead at a moment when it appeared to have found a balance between high pressing and defensive security, and then gradually retreated in the face of increasingly powerful Argentine attacks. Tuchel tried to close down the space with additional defensive players, but the change in structure did not reduce the pressure; instead, it deprived England of the ability to move out of its own half. Argentina took control of the ball, produced a succession of crosses and shots and ultimately punished its opponent's passivity. The final seven minutes turned England's advantage into yet another major tournament disappointment.
England took the lead after a solid and cautious first half
The semi-final at the stadium in Atlanta, in front of 68,239 spectators according to Sky Sports data, began as a physical match with many stoppages. The official report of the English Football Association states that England had slightly more of the ball in the opening minutes, but without creating clear chances, while Argentina attempted to connect Messi and Julián Álvarez between the English lines. Jude Bellingham won two dangerous free kicks; after one of them, John Stones headed the ball wide, while from the other Reece James forced Emiliano Martínez into a comfortable save. Argentina threatened mainly with long-range shots in the first half, including an effort by Enzo Fernández that finished off target. The half ended goalless and without clear dominance from either team.
Argentina started the second half far more aggressively. Álvarez tested Jordan Pickford twice in the opening two minutes after the interval, with the goalkeeper dealing with both situations and keeping England on level terms. England's response arrived in the 55th minute: Morgan Rogers found space on the right side and sent a sharp cross through the six-yard box, where Gordon made a well-timed run at the far post and diverted the ball into the net. It was a goal that opened England's path towards its first World Cup final in six decades. At that point, Tuchel's team looked organised, physically prepared and dangerous enough to threaten with a second goal.
Only two minutes later, Argentina could have equalised, but Djed Spence stopped Giuliano Simeone with a timely sliding tackle. Pickford then saved a series of dangerous attempts, including a low header from Nicolás González following Messi's cross. Alexis Mac Allister hit the post and then headed directly at the English goalkeeper, while Fernández once again forced Pickford into action with a shot from outside the penalty area. The number of Argentine chances grew minute by minute. England briefly maintained a threat through long-range efforts, but its attacking presence gradually faded almost completely.
Tuchel's substitutions changed the course of the match
The key moment in the tactical shift occurred in the 72nd minute, when Gordon left the field and defender Ezri Konsa came on. England then moved to a system with five players in the last line and clearly showed that protecting the lead was its priority. In the 82nd minute, Tuchel introduced Dan Burn in place of Declan Rice and Nico O’Reilly instead of Reece James, further increasing the number of defensively oriented players. Marcus Rashford and Ivan Toney were not given an opportunity until the 90th minute, by which time Argentina already had complete momentum and there was virtually no time left to establish a different rhythm. That sequence of substitutions became the main subject of post-match analysis.
According to Sky Sports' statistical analysis, England had an average of only 12 per cent possession between Gordon's goal and Martínez's winner. The same source states that after taking the lead it did not record a single touch in the Argentine penalty area, while after switching to a five-man defence it completed only a few passes in the opposition half. Those figures explain why the match turned into an almost uninterrupted Argentine attack. England could no longer retain the ball, force its opponent to retreat or give its defence a rest. Every cleared attack quickly returned towards Pickford's goal.
After the match, in a statement published by the English Football Association, Tuchel admitted that the team became too passive after taking the lead. He explained that by introducing a fifth defender he had tried to close the large gaps in midfield and strengthen the defence against crosses because Argentina had begun winning aerial duels and creating chances from wide positions. At the same time, he claimed that the problem was not only the formation, but also the fact that England was no longer winning second balls or managing to get out of its own half. His assessment that an attacking substitution would not have solved the problem at that moment drew criticism from some English analysts. Paul Merson and other Sky Sports commentators concluded that England surrendered the initiative too early and thereby invited the defending champions to attack in waves.
Fernández equalised, Martínez completed the comeback
Argentina's pressure finally produced a result in the 85th minute. After a short corner, the ball reached Enzo Fernández, who beat Pickford with a precise and powerful strike from the edge of the penalty area. According to the Sky Sports report, Messi was credited with an assist in that move as well, once again demonstrating how much he can influence a match even without taking a large number of shots himself. The equaliser did not calm Argentina down, but instead further increased its confidence. Mac Allister struck the frame of the goal again in stoppage time, which was England's final warning before the complete turnaround.
A few moments later, Messi delivered a precise cross from the right towards the far post, where Lautaro Martínez remained in a favourable position and headed home for 2:1. The forward, who had entered in the 81st minute, once again confirmed the value of Argentina's bench and coach Lionel Scaloni's ability to raise the intensity of a match through his changes. Martínez's goal came at a moment when England had a large number of defensive players on the field but failed to protect the space in which the Argentine forward completed the move. It summarised England's problem in the final twenty minutes: numerical presence in defence was not accompanied by control of the ball, pressure on the opponent or effective defending against the second wave of attack.
After the match, Scaloni emphasised his team's character and its ability to continue believing even when the score was unfavourable. The Argentina coach said that the players still surprise him and that the national team builds its victories on unity, the supporters' energy and a willingness to fight until the final moment. Argentina will now attempt to become the first national team since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 to win two consecutive world titles. Spain awaits in the final after defeating France with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro. The final match will therefore bring together the reigning world champion and a Spanish team that reached the final through convincing control of possession and tactical discipline.
Kane admitted that merely protecting the lead was not enough
Captain Harry Kane did not hide his disappointment after the match. In a statement published on the official channels of the England national team, he said that the team had played well for most of the match but, after taking the lead, began merely protecting the result, which is not enough at this level. Kane added that the message from the bench was to look for a second goal, but the players failed to maintain the pressure that had enabled them to win the ball high up the field in the first half and at the beginning of the second. According to him, Argentina sent increasing numbers of players forward after making changes, while England could not find a way to respond man for man. The closing stages therefore turned into a succession of blocks, clearances and saves without any real way out.
Kane described the entire tournament as further proof that England is close, but still lacks the final step in the closing stages of major competitions. That assessment fits the pattern of results in recent years. England was stopped in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, lost the finals of Euro 2020, held in 2021, and Euro 2024, and was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup. Tuchel's arrival was supposed to provide precisely the experience of managing knockout matches and handling moments of crisis more accurately, which is why the decisions made in Atlanta will be placed under particular scrutiny. Nevertheless, the German coach confirmed that he intends to remain in charge and lead the national team towards the 2028 European Championship.
The English Football Association had previously extended Tuchel's contract until the end of that tournament, so the defeat by Argentina does not currently mean a change of coach. Association chief executive Mark Bullingham thanked the players, Tuchel, the coaching staff and the supporters after the elimination, stating that everyone had made the maximum effort during the tournament. Nevertheless, the result itself will not stop the debate about the style of play in decisive moments. Critics believe that instead of using the quality of Bellingham, Kane, Rogers and the other attacking players, England surrendered space to Messi and the Argentine midfielders. Defenders of Tuchel's decision can point to the series of chances Argentina created even before the change in formation, but the statistics from the closing stages show that the defensive plan delivered neither security nor possession.
Prince William: disappointment, but also pride in the tournament
After the final whistle, Prince William, Prince of Wales, who has publicly followed the England national team for years, also reacted. In a message published on the social network X, he stated that he was disappointed with the outcome but proud of the players and staff for the fighting spirit and belief they had shown throughout the tournament. He described England as one of the most complete national teams the country has had at a major competition and urged the players to hold their heads high. His message reflects the mood of part of the public: pain over the manner in which the place in the final was lost, but also recognition for a team that once again went deep into the latter stages.
For England's supporters, the impression remains that the opportunity was exceptionally great. In the knockout stage, the team overcame the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mexico and Norway and reached the semi-finals for the second time in the last three World Cups. It was not outplayed by Argentina throughout the entire match, but it failed to maintain its own style of play after taking the lead. It is precisely that transition from an active and organised team to a deep, passive defence that will be the central issue in analyses of the tournament. England was only a few minutes away from the biggest match in international football, but ended up preparing for the bronze-medal match.
The match against France in Miami on 18 July will provide England with an opportunity to end the tournament with a victory and achieve its best World Cup finish since winning the title in 1966. However, regardless of the outcome of that match, the semi-final in Atlanta will remain the moment that defines England's 2026 campaign. Argentina showed patience, squad depth and belief in a comeback, while England lost control precisely when it was closest to its goal. Messi, who did not score, once again decided a major match through creativity and precision in the crucial seconds. His two assists gave Argentina the opportunity to defend its title and left England facing another long period of reflection on how it manages a lead under the greatest pressure.
Sources:
- FIFA – official report of the England – Argentina semi-final, goalscorers and confirmation of Argentina's qualification for the final (link)
- England Football – official match record, line-ups, substitutions, course of the match and date of the third-place match (link)
- England Football – Thomas Tuchel's statements on the tactical changes and passivity after taking the lead (link)
- England Football – Harry Kane's reaction after the elimination and his reflection on the closing stages of the match (link)
- Sky Sports – statistical and tactical analysis of the closing stages, possession data and post-match reactions (link)
- FIFA – official information about the Spain – Argentina final on 19 July at New York New Jersey Stadium (link)
- The Football Association – confirmation of the extension of Thomas Tuchel's contract until the end of the 2028 European Championship (link)
- England Football – statement by Association chief executive Mark Bullingham after the elimination (link)
- FIFA – official report of Spain's victory over France in the other semi-final (link)
- Kensington Royal – Prince William's official message following England's semi-final defeat (link)