Lionel Messi produced one of his greatest moments in an Argentina shirt, inspiring a late comeback that saw Argentina overturn a deficit against England to win the 2026 World Cup semi-final 2-1, sending the defending champions into a second straight World Cup final and setting up a clash with Spain on Sunday. (ESPN)
An England lead deep into the second half
Anthony Gordon opened the scoring for England in the 55th minute, tapping home a Morgan Rogers cross on a transition break to put the Three Lions in what looked like a comfortable position en route to the final. (Fox News)
Messi's late-game magic
But Argentina refused to fold. In the 85th minute, Messi played a short corner, received the ball back, and spotted Enzo Fernández lurking 25 yards from goal — Fernández ripped a curling shot past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to level it at 1-1. (Yahoo Sports)
Then, in the 92nd minute, after Alexis Mac Allister's shot struck the post, Messi collected the rebound and whipped in a cross that Lautaro Martínez headed home into the left side of the net for the winner. Both Argentina goals were created directly by Messi. (FOX Sports)
Chasing a historic back-to-back title
With this win, Argentina reach the final for a second straight tournament, aiming to become the first nation to win back-to-back World Cups in more than 60 years — a feat not seen since Brazil in the 1960s. The stage is now set: Argentina vs Spain in the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday, July 19, in New Jersey. (NBC News)
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