… the years and this will be remembered as the stuff of legends in Argentina as the South Americans denied England with two late sucker punches.Messi set up Enzo Fernandez to fire in an 85th-minute equaliser and then, with extra time looming, crossed for substitute Lautaro Martinez …
… But England then invited wave after wave of late pressure from the defending champions and goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez secured a famous 2-1 victory.Tuchel said his team had become "too passive" after taking the lead at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. …
… He set up Enzo Fernandez, who blasted home from outside the area, and provided an inch-perfect cross for Lautaro Martinez's winner in stoppage time. …
… After Argentina beat a dogged Swiss side 3-1 in Kansas City on Saturday thanks to extra-time goals from Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez, their coach Lionel Scaloni attempted to take the political heat out of the meeting with England. …
… window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-m', container: 'taboola-mid-article-thumbnails', placement: 'Mid Article Thumbnails', target_type: 'mix' }); But Alvarez eventually broke their hearts with a stunning curling effort into the top corner and Lautaro Martinez …
… Lautaro Martinez added gloss with a late third.The hard-fought victory for Lionel Scaloni's men at the Arrowhead Stadium means the top four teams in the FIFA rankings will contest the semi-finals of the 2026 tournament. …
… Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez scored in extra time for Argentina, who had been on the ropes after a second-half equaliser from Switzerland's Dan Ndoye cancelled out Alexis Mac Allister's early opener for the holders.The two results mean that England and Argentina will renew …
Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final, with Ferran Torres scoring in the 106th minute. Lionel Messi, 39, had led Argentina to the final with eight goals and two assists, including in a dramatic semi-final comeback against England, but failed to secure another World Cup trophy four years after Argentina's Qatar victory.
Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final, with Ferran Torres scoring in the 106th minute. Lionel Messi, 39, had led Argentina to the final with eight goals and two assists, including in a dramatic semi-final comeback against England, but failed to secure another World Cup trophy four years after Argentina's Qatar victory.
Spain's 2026 World Cup final squad includes players of African descent, such as 19-year-old Lamine Yamal (Moroccan father, Equatorial Guinean mother) and Nico Williams (Ghanaian parents), while Argentina's squad is widely cited as the only one among the 48 tournament teams without a single Black player.
England manager Thomas Tuchel said Friday that his players carry the "scars" of their painful World Cup exit, acknowledging there is still a gap to close to the top nations. After a 2-1 semi-final defeat by Argentina, England will face France in the third-place play-off on Saturday.
Argentina advanced to the 2026 World Cup final against Spain after beating England 2-1 in the semi-final, with coach Lionel Scaloni and observers crediting the team's ability to perform well under pressure. The South American nation is pursuing a second consecutive World Cup title.
Argentina's players and coaches say the team performs best when facing adversity, a trait evident in their comeback victories through the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup tournament.
England's head coach Thomas Tuchel faced heavy criticism for defensive substitutions after a 2-1 semi-final loss to Argentina in Atlanta, with late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez overturning Anthony Gordon's opening goal. Tuchel is now looking ahead to a home Euros in 2028, but questions remain over whether he will need to rebuild trust with his players.
England lost 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday, with Thomas Tuchel criticized for defensive substitutions that allowed Argentina to take control. Tuchel is looking ahead to a home Euros in 2028.
Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to a 2-1 semi-final victory over England at the 2026 World Cup in Atlanta, setting up goals for Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez after England took an early lead through Anthony Gordon. The 39-year-old Messi said the fixture remained special despite his record-breaking career.
Argentina's Lautaro Martinez scored the winning goal in the 2026 World Cup semifinal against England, with the reigning champions winning 2-1 after Martinez came off the bench in the 81st minute. Martinez said he had "dreamt" of scoring the goal, which came in the second minute of injury time after Lionel Messi set up Enzo Fernandez to equalize.
England's World Cup dream ended in a 2-1 semifinal defeat to Argentina on Wednesday. Manager Thomas Tuchel said his team became "too passive" after Anthony Gordon's early second-half goal, allowing Argentina to score through Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez.
Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to a 2-1 comeback victory over England in a World Cup semi-final, with Enzo Fernandez equalizing in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martinez scoring the winner in stoppage time. Argentina will face European champions Spain in the final.
England's World Cup campaign ended in a 2-1 defeat to Argentina in a semi-final, with manager Thomas Tuchel defending his tactical decisions despite his team becoming "too passive" after taking an early second-half lead through Anthony Gordon.
England's forward Harry Kane expressed disappointment after his team lost 2-1 to defending champions Argentina in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday. Lionel Messi set up two goals — an assist to Enzo Fernandez and a cross for Lautaro Martinez's winner in stoppage time — after Anthony Gordon had briefly put England ahead.
Lionel Messi engineered a comeback for Argentina in their World Cup semi-final against England on Wednesday, securing a 2-1 victory to keep the defending champions on track for back-to-back titles. Argentina will face Spain in the final in New Jersey on Sunday.
England and Argentina will meet in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday in Atlanta after defeating Norway and Switzerland in the quarter-finals. Messi and Argentina seek to become the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962, while England pursue their first major trophy in 60 years.
Julian Alvarez scored Argentina's decisive second goal in the 112th minute as Argentina beat 10-man Switzerland 3-1 in extra-time in the World Cup quarter-final. Alvarez said "you have to know how to suffer" after Argentina came through another gruelling test.
Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni said the team's upcoming World Cup semi-final against England is "just a football game" after Argentina defeated Switzerland 3-1 in the quarter-finals. Alexis Mac Allister scored early, Dan Ndoye equalized, and goals from Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez sealed the win in Kansas City.
England beat Norway 2-1 in extra time with two goals from Jude Bellingham, and defending champions Argentina defeated Switzerland 3-1, setting up a semi-final matchup between the two nations.
Argentina defeated Switzerland 3-1 after extra-time in a World Cup quarter-final on Saturday, with Lionel Messi setting up an early opener and Julian Alvarez scoring a decisive goal in the 112th minute. The victory sets up a semi-final against England and keeps Argentina unbeaten in their past 12 World Cup matches.
England defeated Norway 2-1 in extra time with two goals from Jude Bellingham, while defending champions Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 at the quarter-finals. The rivals will meet in the semi-finals in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Argentina recovered from 2-0 down to defeat Egypt 3-2 in the round of 32, with Lionel Messi scoring the equaliser and Enzo Fernandez securing victory in stoppage time, allowing the holders to reach the quarter-finals.
Argentina came from 2-0 down to defeat Egypt 3-2 and advance to the quarter-finals, with Lionel Messi scoring the equaliser and Enzo Fernandez sealing the turnaround in stoppage time. Egypt protested controversial officiating decisions, including a disallowed goal and a red card to a coaching staff member.
Lionel Messi came off the bench to score his sixth tournament goal as Argentina beat Jordan 3-1, finishing Group J with maximum points ahead of their last-32 match against Cape Verde on July 3 in Miami.
Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick for Argentina in a 3-0 victory over Algeria, equaling Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup goalscoring record of 16 goals. The 38-year-old also became the first player to feature in six World Cup tournaments.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is set to hold a rare press conference in Mexico City on the eve of the 2026 World Cup, facing tough questions about sky-high ticket prices and a US immigration crackdown that has barred a top African referee, fans, and team officials from entering the country.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino will hold a rare press conference in Mexico City ahead of the 2026 World Cup, where he is expected to face questions about ticket prices and US immigration restrictions that have barred a top African referee, fans and team officials from entering the country.
Lionel Messi, who will turn 39 during the 2026 World Cup, continues as Argentina's talisman as they attempt to retain the trophy in North America after his 2022 Qatar triumph.
Inter Milan defeated Lazio 2-0 in the Italian Cup final to secure their 10th Cup triumph and complete a domestic double alongside their 21st Serie A title. An own goal and Lautaro Martinez's first-half tap-in sealed a comfortable victory in Rome.
Inter Milan defeated Lazio 2-0 in the Italian Cup final on Wednesday, securing their 10th Cup triumph and completing a domestic double with their Serie A title. Inter coach Cristian Chivu said the team deserved the trophies after a good season.