Argentina beat England 2-1 on Wednesday in Atlanta and reached the World Cup final, another late escape that carried Lionel Messi to the edge of another title. England led through Anthony Gordon in the 55th minute, but Messi helped turn it around and will now face Spain in Sunday’s final in New York at 21h.
The reason this result lands so hard is not just the score. Argentina are back in a World Cup final four years after winning in Doha against France, and they did it after spending long stretches under pressure and then striking when England could not finish the job. The first half ended with no shots on target, a sign of how tight the game was before Gordon finally broke it open.
Messi was central to the comeback. He found Enzo Fernandez in the 86th minute for the equalizer, then delivered a right-footed cross for Lautaro Martinez in the 90th+3 minute to complete the turnaround. Jordan Pickford had already kept England alive with a save in the 69th minute and even hit the post in the 75th minute before conceding, but Argentina kept pushing until the match flipped.
There was also a familiar pattern to it. Argentina have now come back again after doing the same against Egypt in the round of 16, and that habit of surviving matches that look lost is becoming part of their World Cup story. Thomas Tuchel was criticized for a defensive choice in the last 20 minutes when England led 1-0, a move that left his side trying to protect a result that slipped away.
That leaves Argentina with one more step and one more chance at history. A win over Spain would give them a second straight World Cup title, something no team has done since Brazil in 1958-1962. England, meanwhile, must settle for the third-place match against France on Saturday in Miami at 23h, while Messi and Argentina turn toward New York and a final that now carries the weight of a run built on late answers.
