Messi masterminds Argentina's late comeback to sink England and reach the final

Argentina came from behind with two late goals to beat England 2-1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and reach a second successive World Cup final. Anthony Gordon's second-half strike looked to have sent England towards a first final since 1966, but Lionel Messi turned creator-in-chief, laying on both goals — an 85th-minute Enzo Fernandez header and a stoppage-time Lautaro Martinez header — to break English hearts. It is a fourth straight knockout comeback for the reigning champions, and Messi delivered when his side needed him most.

Match summary: Gordon strikes, Messi conjures two

England, set up cautiously by Thomas Tuchel, took the lead on 55 minutes when Gordon finished off a Morgan Rogers cross to spark dreams of ending 60 years of hurt. But Argentina grew stronger as the game wore on, and with five minutes left Messi swung in a cross for Enzo Fernandez to head the equaliser. Then, deep into stoppage time, Messi delivered again from a similar position for Lautaro Martinez to head the winner and complete the turnaround. Two assists in the biggest moments, the master pulling the strings when it mattered — England had no answer to Messi's late influence.

Comeback kings and a storied rivalry renewed

This was Argentina's fourth successive knockout comeback, having already recovered against Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland on this run, and once more they found a way. Messi's masterclass came not through goals but through creation, twice picking out headers with pinpoint deliveries. For England it is devastation: Tuchel's defensive gameplan, so nearly successful, backfired at the death, and the 60-year wait for a second world title goes on. Harry Kane, the tournament's Golden Boot leader on 14 World Cup goals having passed Gary Lineker earlier in the run, and Jude Bellingham on six could not inspire the finish they craved. The fixture rekindled one of football's great rivalries — 1986's “Hand of God,” the 1982 backdrop — 21 years since the nations last met.

What's next: Argentina chase a repeat in the final

Argentina advance to a World Cup final against Spain on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, chasing a first back-to-back title since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 — roughly six decades. Three of our four AI models called it: the DeepSeek double chance on Argentina landed, as did the outright Argentina win and the England under 1.5 read; only the under 2.5 goals call missed. England turn to a third-place playoff against France on July 18 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.