Argentina is going back to the World Cup final. The defending champions beat England 2-1 in Atlanta on Wednesday, scoring twice in the final minutes to end England's tournament and set up a Sunday showdown with Spain at MetLife Stadium.
England looked in control for most of the match. Anthony Gordon gave the Three Lions the lead in the 55th minute, chipping in a cross from Morgan Rogers. England coach Thomas Tuchel moved to protect the advantage, swapping midfielder Declan Rice for defender Nico O'Reilly and bringing on Dan Burn for Reece James in the 82nd minute. According to BBC Sport, Tuchel later said his team "got too passive" after scoring first.
Then Messi took over. In the 85th minute, Enzo Fernandez struck from just outside the penalty area to level the score. Messi provided the assist. In stoppage time, substitute Lautaro Martinez headed in the winner, also set up by Messi.
"I dreamed it, I swear. I told Alexis (Mac Allister) that I was going to score. I told him that I was going to come on and I was going to win it," Martinez said after the match. "I can tell you this team keeps showing what it's made of."
England captain Harry Kane was direct about his feelings at the final whistle. "I'm gutted for the team, the staff, the fans," Kane said. "We worked so hard to be here. The lads have given every bit of blood, sweat and tears. To fall short like we did is just gutting."
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni offered a defiant assessment of his team. "We're going to try to win, we're going to leave everything out there," Scaloni said. "It's very difficult to get people to understand what these players are showing. It's incredible. We are unique, truly, and it's not arrogance, it's from the heart. We are unique."
Messi is now seeking to lead Argentina to back-to-back World Cup titles. A repeat champion at this level has not happened since Brazil won in 1958 and 1962. His eight goals in this tournament remain tied for the most. At 39 years old, he is one of only two players to appear in six men's World Cups, alongside Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo. England, meanwhile, has not won a World Cup since 1966.
The Argentina-England rivalry now spans decades. Diego Maradona's Hand of God goal knocked England out of the 1986 quarterfinal. Argentina also eliminated England in 1998. The rivalry carries weight far beyond the pitch, and Wednesday's match was no different.
After the final whistle, Argentina players held up a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas," which translates as "The Falklands are Argentine." FIFA is now weighing disciplinary action against the Argentine Football Association, according to BBC Sport. The organization fined the AFA £20,000 in 2014 after players displayed the same banner before a friendly against Slovenia, ruling it a breach of rules on political action and team misconduct.
The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic, roughly 300 miles off Argentina's coast. Britain and Argentina fought a 74-day war over the islands in 1982. The conflict killed 655 Argentine and 255 British servicemen, along with three island residents. The sovereignty dispute has never been resolved.
Argentina vice-president Victoria Villarruel added to the political noise after the match, posting on X alongside a video that appeared to show Argentine soldiers: "The Falklands are Argentine. They banned bringing them to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and our hearts."
Before the semi-final, Scaloni had taken a different tone. "The reality is that this is a football match. I can't mix things up, especially out of respect for what happened so many years ago," Scaloni said. "It was a very sad period in our history, and there isn't much we can do about it, that's the reality."
Argentina faces Spain in Sunday's final at MetLife Stadium. England plays France on Saturday for third place.
