England appeared to be on course for victory after Anthony Gordon broke the deadlock early in the second half, but Argentina dominated possession after falling behind and eventually found the breakthrough their pressure deserved.
The match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta began as an ill-tempered affair, with tackles flying in from the opening whistle. Neither side managed a single attempt on or off target in the first half — the first World Cup match since records began in 1966 to reach halftime without a shot.
Instead, the opening 45 minutes was defined by repeated fouls, confrontations and midfield battles, with England and Argentina combining for 19 fouls before the break.
England created the first meaningful attack after halftime and made it count in the 55th minute. Morgan Rogers surged down the right before delivering a precise cross to the far post, where Anthony Gordon arrived unmarked to tap home for a 1-0 lead.
The goal transformed the game.
Argentina immediately increased the tempo, pinning England deep inside their own half. Julian Alvarez tested Jordan Pickford twice early in the second period, while Giuliano Simeone, Nicolas Gonzalez and Alexis Mac Allister all threatened as England struggled to regain possession.
Pickford kept England ahead with a string of outstanding saves, including a point-blank stop from Nicolas Gonzalez’s header and another spectacular save to deny Fernandez from distance.
England’s defense also produced crucial interventions, most notably Djed Spence’s perfectly timed tackle to deny Simeone a clear scoring opportunity.
However, the pressure eventually told.
In the 86th minute, Fernandez found space outside the penalty area and fired a powerful low strike beyond Pickford to level the match at 1-1.
Argentina completed the comeback six minutes into stoppage time.
Mac Allister’s long-range effort struck the post before Messi reacted quickest to collect the rebound. The captain immediately lifted a cross into the six-yard box, where substitute Lautaro Martinez headed home to send Argentina into the final.
England threw on Marcus Rashford and Ivan Toney in search of a late equalizer, but Argentina held firm to secure a dramatic victory.
The win sends Lionel Scaloni’s side into Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain, who defeated France 2-0 in the other semifinal. England, meanwhile, will face France in the third-place playoff.
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