England suffered a devastating World Cup semi-final exit in Atlanta on Wednesday night, as reigning champions Argentina pulled off a dramatic late comeback to win 2-1 and seal a place in Sunday’s final against Spain.
The match was defined by early tension. Tempers simmered in the first half with heavy tackles, leading to 12 fouls from Argentina and seven from England. Neither side managed to break the deadlock before the interval, though Jordan Pickford was called into action early in the second half to save from Julian Alvarez.
England struck first in the 55th minute. Harry Kane brought down a long ball before Declan Rice and Morgan Rogers combined, allowing Rogers to send a cross over to Anthony Gordon. The forward made no mistake, firing past Emiliano Martinez to put the Three Lions ahead.
For a brief spell, Thomas Tuchel’s side looked poised to hold their lead, dropping into a compact defensive shape. However, Argentina’s relentless pressure eventually paid off. In the 85th minute, Enzo Fernandez equalised with a stunning right-footed strike from distance that bent away from Pickford.
With the match seemingly destined for extra time, Argentina delivered the final blow in stoppage time. In the 92nd minute, Lionel Messi swung a precise cross into the box from the right wing, finding substitute forward Lautaro Martinez, who rose to power a header into the net.
The dramatic turnaround left England with too little time to respond, ending their dream of a first World Cup final since 1966. Argentina will now face Spain in the final in New Jersey, while England must pick themselves up to face France in the third-place play-off on Saturday.