Trailing 1-0 going into the 85th minute after Anthony Gordon scored for England in the 55th minute, Argentina rallied for a 2-1 victory over England on Wednesday with goals from Enzo Fernandez and substitute Lautaro Martinez. Messi fed the ball to Fernandez to sweep in the equalizer from outside the box in the 85th minute. Two minutes into stoppage time, Messi sent in a cross for Martinez to head in the winner. England goalkeeper Jordon Pickford made vital saves while Alexis Mac Allister sent a header off the post as wave after wave of Argentina attacks came. Martinez said he told Mac Allister that he was going to come on and win it.
The defending champions will take on European champion Spain in the final on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said the team showed the collectiveness, the brotherhood and the fight to the very end. England captain Harry Kane said the team worked so hard to be in the semifinals and to fall short was gutting. The loss for England marks the third time the team has come up short in the World Cup semifinals after losses to Germany in 1990 and Croatia in 2018. England coach Thomas Tuchel said Argentina played with more risk and more rhythm, which freed them up and held England back.