England were within touching distance of a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final before Lionel Messi inspired another dramatic Argentina comeback. Leading 1-0 late in the semifinal, England appeared set to end their long wait for a World Cup final. Instead, two late Argentina goals turned the match around, securing a 2-1 victory and setting up a final against Spain.

The closing stages will inevitably put Thomas Tuchel’s tactical decisions under the spotlight after England’s defensive reshuffle failed to withstand Argentina’s relentless pressure.

England tried to protect the lead

Anthony Gordon’s goal in the 55th minute handed England the advantage and shifted the pressure onto the defending champions. As Argentina increased the intensity, England gradually retreated deeper into their own half in an attempt to protect the lead.

Tuchel responded by making defensive substitutions in the closing minutes, hoping to strengthen England’s back line against Argentina’s sustained attacks. “They won every header. They kept crossing and crossing. So we went to a back five to close the gaps inside and be stronger in the air,” Tuchel said.

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“Straight after our goal, with no substitutions, we just conceded way too many crosses and way too many chances. So we tried to help,” Tuchel said. “But of course the responsibility is on the coach. And … if it doesn’t go well, it’s easy to say that it was wrong.”

Lionel Messi changed the course of the match

Despite England’s tactical adjustments, Argentina continued to control possession with Messi orchestrating nearly every dangerous attack.

According to Opta, Argentina enjoyed 88 percent possession during the 38-minute spell between England’s opening goal and Lautaro Martinez’s late winner. That sustained control eventually broke England’s resistance.

Leo Messi
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Leo Messi celebrates after Argentina’s second goal against England | X [433]

Messi first created the equaliser by picking out Enzo Fernandez just outside the penalty area. The midfielder had time and space to unleash a right-footed strike that curled beyond Jordan Pickford in the 85th minute.

Argentina continued to push forward after drawing level. The South Americans struck the crossbar, missed another headed opportunity and finally completed the turnaround when Messi delivered another cross that found Lautaro Martinez for a close-range header in stoppage time.

Harry Kane admits England lost control

England captain Harry Kane acknowledged that his side struggled to deal with Argentina’s growing confidence during the closing stages.

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“It’s disappointing to give up the space that we did in those final 20 minutes,” England captain Harry Kane said. “It allowed not just (Messi), but the other players to grow into the game and feel more confident and ping balls into dangerous areas. In the end, it was too much for us to stop.”

Kane’s assessment reflected how England gradually lost control as Argentina dominated possession and territory after falling behind.

Lautaro Martinez explains Argentina’s comeback

After sealing Argentina’s place in the World Cup final, Lautaro Martinez credited his team’s patience and England’s fading energy levels for the turnaround.

“They got tired,” Martinez said. “They pressed for 60 minutes and then just ran out of steam. They got their goal and then sat back. That gave us more composure to move the ball around and stretch the pitch.”

Argentina maintained the pressure until England’s defensive structure finally gave way, completing another memorable comeback led by Messi’s creativity.

The defensive plan that worked before could not stop Argentina

England’s defensive resilience had been widely praised earlier in the tournament, particularly during their Round of 16 victory over Mexico. Even after being reduced to 10 men following Jarell Quansah’s red card, England successfully absorbed sustained pressure to secure qualification.

Against Argentina, Tuchel attempted a similar defensive approach by introducing Dan Burn and Nico O’Reilly in place of Reece James and Declan Rice during the closing stages.

However, the strategy did not produce the same outcome. Burn admitted England defended too close to their own goal, allowing Argentina to keep creating opportunities until the breakthrough eventually arrived.

“Off the ball, we defended probably a little bit too deep,” Burn said. “With the quality of chances that Argentina were creating, I felt like it was a matter of time. … To be 10 to 15 minutes away from the World Cup final – we really probably should have seen that through,” Burn admitted.

FAQs

Why did Thomas Tuchel switch to a back five against Argentina?

Tuchel said England switched to a back five to deal with Argentina’s aerial threat and constant crosses into the penalty area.

How did Argentina beat England in the World Cup semifinal?

Argentina came from behind to win 2-1, with Lionel Messi assisting goals for Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez in the closing stages.