Late‑show Argentina roar past England to set up Spain showdown in World Cup final
Argentina are back in the World Cup final after a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over England in the semifinals, sealed by late goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez. The holders will now face Spain, who beat France 2-0 in the other semifinal, in a heavyweight 2026 title showdown.
Argentina break England hearts to reach World Cup final
Argentina are back in a World Cup final, coming from behind to beat England 2-1 in the semifinal and set up a blockbuster title clash with Spain.
England led through Anthony Gordon, but two late goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez flipped the tie on its head and extended Argentina’s bid for back-to-back titles.
How the semifinal was won
According to the latest World Cup results from multiple outlets, Argentina overturned a 1-0 deficit in the closing stages to defeat England 2-1 in their semifinal.
The live blog on the official Bundesliga site’s World Cup coverage records that England “took the lead” before Argentina hit back late, with Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez scoring to send the holders through to face Spain in the final.
"Despite taking the lead, the Three Lions fell short in their bid to reach the final. Late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martínez cancelled out Anthony Gordon's opener to send holders Argentina through to face Spain." (Bundesliga World Cup live blog)
That account is echoed by updated results lists, which show Argentina 2, England 1 in the semifinals, alongside Spain’s 2-0 win over France in the other last-four tie (Sporting News results page).
Holders chase historic repeat
The semifinal comeback keeps alive Argentina’s campaign to retain the World Cup they won in 2022.
Results trackers confirm that Argentina navigated a demanding knockout path, beating Egypt and Switzerland en route to this last-four meeting with England (ESPN fixture overview; FIFA Watch news). Those earlier wins have now been overshadowed by the significance of this semifinal, which sends the defending champions into another final.
On the opposite side of the bracket, Spain had already booked their place in the showpiece with a 2-0 victory over France, securing their first World Cup final appearance since lifting the trophy in 2010 (Sporting News results page; ABC13 World Cup updates).
England’s run ends one step short
For England, this defeat halts a deep tournament run that had included high‑profile knockout wins.
Earlier in the competition, Thomas Tuchel’s side produced a second‑half turnaround in the group stage and then defeated co-hosts Mexico 3-2 at the Estadio Azteca in the round of 16, with Harry Kane scoring the decisive goal (Bundesliga World Cup live blog; BBC live coverage). They followed that by edging Norway in the quarterfinals, a match that had already generated significant controversy and prompted a response from FIFA in previous days.
Against Argentina, though, England could not see out a lead. Gordon’s opener briefly had the Three Lions dreaming of their first final since 1966, but pressure from the holders finally told as Fernández and Martínez turned the contest around late on (Bundesliga World Cup live blog).
Final set: Spain vs Argentina
With both semifinals now completed, the bracket confirms a Spain vs Argentina final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, a matchup between the 2010 and 2022 champions (Soccer26Live winner tracker; ESPN fixtures guide).
Spain arrive after a controlled 2-0 win over France, while Argentina come in on the back of this emotionally charged comeback against England. The winner tracker notes that the champion has not yet been confirmed and lists Spain vs Argentina as the decisive title match slot, underscoring the stakes of the showdown to come (Soccer26Live winner tracker).
For now, the story belongs to Argentina: a late surge, another knockout scalp, and a return to the stage they have made their own over the past decade.