Argentina beat England 1-2 in an Atlanta semi-final to reach the World Cup 2026 final, where they will face Spain. England had led through an Anthony Gordon goal but faded after the hour mark as Lionel Messi, providing two assists, inspired an Argentina comeback, denying England a shot at a first World Cup final since 1966 and extending Messi's remarkable career with a third World Cup final appearance at the age of 39.

England captain Harry Kane struggled throughout and admitted after the game there was "not much to say" as the squad processed the defeat. Argentina's celebrations proved controversial when players Lisandro Martínez and Giovani Lo Celso displayed a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" (a reference to the 1982 Falklands conflict), which appears to breach Fifa's ban on political messaging in stadiums. Meanwhile, jubilant scenes broke out across Buenos Aires, with fans flooding the streets to celebrate their team's progress to the final.