MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina beat England 2-1 to reach World Cup final against Spain

The run of play reflected the South American side's control, with 64% possession and fourteen shots, six on target, against England's six

Argentina defeated England 2-1 in the World Cup semifinal on Wednesday and will play the final on Sunday, July 19, against Spain. The side coached by Lionel Scaloni overturned a deficit and broke down late in the match the resistance of an opponent that sat back after taking the lead.

Anthony Gordon opened the scoring in the 55th minute, following a cross from Morgan Rogers. Enzo Fernández equalized in the 85th with a shot from outside the box, and the winning goal came in stoppage time through Lautaro Martínez, who had come on a few minutes earlier. With those two goals in the closing stretch, Argentina turned around a match England had steered in its favor.

The run of play reflected the South American side's control, with 64% possession and fourteen shots, six on target, against England's six. Thomas Tuchel's team focused on defending the lead as soon as it arrived, relying on counterattacks that did not materialize, while goalkeeper Jordan Pickford prevented a wider margin with several saves. The defeat leaves England short of what would have been its first World Cup final in six decades.

The result sends Lionel Messi to his third World Cup final on Sunday, after the loss to Germany in 2014 and the win over France in 2022. He will match Brazil's Cafú as the only players to reach three finals of the tournament.

If Argentina beat Spain, it will become the first team to win consecutive World Cups since Brazil, which took the 1958 and 1962 editions. The final will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.