Argentina Beat England to Reach 2026 World Cup Final

Argentina defeated England 2-1 in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 15, after Lionel Messi assisted two late goals to overturn a second-half deficit, booking the defending champions a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Spain on Sunday, July 19, at New York New Jersey Stadium.

How Argentina Came Back

Anthony Gordon gave England the lead in the 55th minute at Atlanta Stadium (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), putting the South Americans under pressure for the first time in a knockout stage they had navigated with six straight wins. The first half had ended scoreless, with neither side recording a shot in the opening 30 minutes. Argentina did not panic once behind. They built pressure methodically.

Enzo Fernández equalized in the 85th minute, driving a left-footed shot from outside the box off a pass from Messi to draw the sides level with five minutes remaining. Seven minutes later, in the second minute of stoppage time, Lautaro Martínez headed in another Messi cross to complete the turnaround, according to Reuters.

Messi did not score. He did not need to. Both Argentina goals came directly from his deliveries. AP's match coverage confirmed those two assists were his third and fourth of the 2026 tournament.

Messi's Numbers in This World Cup

The assists against England pushed Messi's career World Cup assist tally to 12. He has scored 21 goals across all World Cup appearances, as reported by Reuters. In the 2026 tournament alone, he has scored eight goals and provided four assists, a tally that ties him with Kylian Mbappé on goals and puts him ahead on the Golden Boot tiebreaker entering the final, with more assists than Mbappé.

These are not estimates. Argentina entered the final with 19 goals scored across seven matches. Spain, their opponents, conceded just one goal across their entire campaign.

Spain Set Up the Final From the Other Side

Spain reached the final by beating France 2-0 in the first semifinal on Tuesday, July 14, at Dallas Stadium in Arlington. FIFA's official match report confirmed goals from Mikel Oyarzabal, who converted from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute, and Pedro Porro, who added a second in the 58th minute.

Spain's record entering the final stands at six wins and one draw, a group-stage draw against Cape Verde that never threatened their knockout momentum. They have conceded once throughout the tournament. For context on how the bracket reached this point, the 2026 World Cup bracket and last-32 ties breakdown shows the full path each team took.

What the Final Means for Both Teams

Spain won their only World Cup title in 2010, beating the Netherlands 1-0 in the final, as confirmed by FIFA's Spain team profile. A second title, 16 years on, would make them the seventh nation to win the tournament more than once, joining Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Uruguay, and France on the list of multiple winners.

Argentina are defending champions, having won in Qatar in December 2022 on penalties after a 3-3 draw against France. FIFA's official 2022 final report documents that result as Argentina's third World Cup title, following 1978 and 1986. A win on July 19 would give them a fourth, and make them only the third nation to win consecutive men's World Cups, after Italy in 1934 and 1938 and Brazil in 1958 and 1962, per FIFA's own record on consecutive champions.

The Spain vs. Argentina final preview goes deeper into what separates these two squads tactically heading into Sunday.

The Third-Place Playoff and Final Schedule

Two matches remain in the 2026 tournament. France and England, both eliminated in the semifinals, meet in the third-place playoff on Saturday, July 18, at 5 p.m. ET at Miami Stadium, broadcast on FOX and FOX One in the United States.

The final follows on Sunday, July 19, at 3 p.m. ET at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on FOX and FOX One, per the FOX Sports official broadcast schedule. Spanish-language coverage of both matches is available on Telemundo and Peacock, per NBC Sports. FIFA's official final match-centre page confirms the July 19 kickoff at New York New Jersey Stadium.

This is the first FIFA World Cup with 48 teams across three host nations, Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and 104 total matches, as detailed on FIFA's official 2026 format page.

Argentina's path to Sunday's final took them through Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland, and now England. Spain defeated France along the way. Neither team has lost a single match in this tournament.