ATLANTA: Argentina pulled off a dramatic late comeback to beat England 2-1 in Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal, booking a spot in the final with two goals scored in the last seven minutes of the match.
This match played in Atlanta, the match stayed scoreless through halftime, even though both teams created several scoring chances early on. England broke through in the 55th minute when a failed clearance from Nicolas Tagliafico fell to Declan Rice, who set up Morgan Rogers. Rogers then delivered a cross that Anthony Gordon guided into the net, putting England ahead and stirring hopes of reaching the country’s first World Cup final since 1966.
With England sitting deep in defense for long stretches, pressure from Argentina mounted, and an equalizer began to feel inevitable. In the 85th minute, Lionel Messi found Enzo Fernandez open near the edge of the box, and Fernandez fired the ball past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to level the score.
Argentina completed the turn around in stoppage time. After Alexis Mac Allister’s shot bounced off the post, Messi collected the rebound and sent a cross to Lautaro MartÃnez, who headed the ball in for the winning goal in the 92nd minute. Martinez, who entered the match as a substitute in the 81st minute, delivered the decisive blow in a rivalry known for its intensity and history.
The win carried extra weight for Messi, 39, who is widely expected to be playing in his final World Cup. His pass for the equalizer and his cross for the winning goal made him the driving force behind Argentina’s comeback. Argentina advances to its second straight World Cup final, where it will face Spain, who defeated France in the tournament other semifinal.
Despite matching Argentina for much of the match, England’s defense couldn’t hold off the late surge from Messi and his teammates, the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain is set for Sunday. England will face France in the third place playoff on Saturday.
