England 1-2 Argentina: Lionel Messi shows his class as Lautaro Martinez scores dramatic late winner

Argentina person booked their spot successful the 2026 World Cup final, coming from down to bushed England 2-1 successful a melodramatic semi-final clash.

After a scrappy archetypal fractional that had zero shots connected target, Anthony Gordon gave England the pb successful the 56th minute, firing location an fantabulous transverse from Morgan Rogers.

Argentina past pushed hard for an equaliser and yet recovered their breakthrough erstwhile Enzo Fernandez scored a brilliant, curling long-shot aft being teed up by Lionel Messi.

Lautaro Martinez past bagged a precocious winner, heading location a pinpoint transverse from Messi to marque it 2-1.

Norway 1-2 England: What conscionable happened?

The archetypal fractional was incredibly stop-start, with some sides making respective fouls, and determination were hardly immoderate clear-cut chances

However, England yet broke the deadlock successful the 2nd fractional erstwhile Gordon recovered the backmost of the net, getting the amended of Nahuel Molina and latching onto Rogers's cross.

England past attempted to adjacent retired the crippled by switching to a backmost five, but the unit tolled arsenic Fernandez equalised successful the 85th infinitesimal and Martinez scored the victor successful the 92nd minute.

Norway 1-2 England: The large talking point

Although helium did not find the backmost of the nett himself, Messi made different important publication astatine this tourney by assisting some of Argentina's goals.

The 39-year-old mostly struggled successful the archetypal half, losing possession 5 times and having the lowest walk occurrence complaint of immoderate Argentina player.

However, Messi tin ne'er beryllium counted retired and helium grew into the crippled aft England went defensive, assisting Fernandez aft a well-worked abbreviated corner.

The Inter Miami prima past delivered a large transverse for Martinez's victor aft Alexis Mac Allister had struck the post.

Norway 1-2 England: The bigger picture

Messi's assists mean helium has present made a extremity publication successful each of his past 11 World Cup games, with 14 goals and 11 assists successful that time.

However, England's determination to effort and parkland the autobus aft Gordon's extremity proved to beryllium a immense mistake, allowing Messi to predominate proceedings for the last 30 minutes.

Messi was capable to get connected the shot much and make much chances, with the momentum swinging successful Argentina's favour arsenic a result.

Norway 1-2 England: What happens next?

Argentina volition present play Spain successful the last connected Sunday, portion England volition look France successful the third-place playoff connected Saturday.

Lionel Scaloni's broadside volition beryllium looking to clasp the trophy they won successful Qatar successful 2022, portion England volition beryllium devastated to person been eliminated successful this fashion.