Argentina defeated England in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal: Argentina secured their spot in the final by beating England in the second semifinal of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The match, held at the Atlanta Stadium, saw Argentina defeat England 2-1. With this victory, Argentina maintained their record of never losing a FIFA World Cup semifinal match.
The encounter between Argentina and England was marked not only by the thrill of football but also by considerable drama; the match was rife with shoving and altercations between players from both teams. Lionel Messi emerged as the hero for Argentina who had been trailing 0-1 shining in the match despite not scoring a goal himself.
The second semi-final was marred by altercations
The second FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal between Argentina and England was a tense affair. From the very beginning, the match saw heightened aggression and physical altercations between the players. It was the Argentine players who initiated this behavior, but as the English players also engaged in kind, the drama on the field intensified.
The physical nature of the contest resulted in a total of 19 fouls during the first half alone, with seven occurring within the opening 10 minutes. The friction between the two teams persisted even after the final whistle. Yet, amidst this tension, Messi displayed his magic, playing a pivotal role in Argentina's success in defeating England despite having initially fallen behind.
England Scores Opening Goal, Takes the Lead
The first half of the second semi-final between Argentina and England ended goalless. England scored the match's opening goal in the 55th minute early in the second half courtesy of Anthony Gordon, giving them a 1-0 lead.
That goal certainly put Argentina under pressure; however, history is made by those who rise to the occasion under pressure. The Argentine team proved exactly that.
How did Messi shine without scoring a goal?
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England led the match 1–0 until the 84th minute. However, Messi’s magic then came into play; England fell so far behind in the contest that they were effectively knocked out of the race for the World Cup final. Enzo Fernández scored Argentina's first goal in the 85th minute off an assist from Messi. The match remained tied at 1–1 at the end of regulation time, after which nine minutes of stoppage time were added.
Messi provided another brilliant assist in the 92nd minute, allowing Martínez to score and give Argentina a 2–1 lead. Messi was named 'Player of the Match' for his two assists. With these two, Messi has now recorded 12 assists in his FIFA World Cup career a record.
Argentina's winning run continues in the semi-finals
The Argentine team has never lost a semi-final in the history of the FIFA World Cup. This was their sixth semi-final, and they maintained their perfect record. Argentina will now face Spain in the final on July 20. Meanwhile, England will take on France in the third-place play-off on July 19.
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