England 1–2 Argentina: World Cup Semifinal Recap, Result & How Our Picks Did

How Argentina turned it

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For an hour, this was England's night. Tuchel's side matched the world champions for control, kept the game on their terms, and got the breakthrough their play deserved on 55 minutes. Morgan Rogers broke down the right and clipped a cross to the back post, where Anthony Gordon arrived to finish it — 1–0 England, and a place in the final suddenly within reach for a golden generation chasing a first title since 1966.

England managed the lead well into the final half hour. Then Argentina turned to the one player who has bent tournaments to his will before. Lionel Messi, held in reserve for exactly this kind of moment, began to see the whole game — dropping into pockets, slowing the tempo, and pulling England's shape out of position. The equaliser came on 85 minutes: Messi threaded the pass, and Enzo Fernández swept it home to level the semifinal with five minutes left.

The winner followed in the second minute of stoppage time, and it carried the same signature. Messi drifted wide, stood a cross up to the far post, and Lautaro Martínez rose to head it in — 2–1 Argentina, deep into added time, with England unable to respond. Two assists in the last five-plus minutes turned a defeat into a place in the final for the reigning champions.

It finished 2–1. Argentina had been second best for long stretches and still found a way, which is the thread running through everything this group has done since 2022. England, who led into the last 35 minutes and looked the more likely to reach the final, fall at the semifinal stage — beaten not by a system but by a single decisive player at the death. Argentina march on to a second straight World Cup final, one win from back-to-back titles.

How our picks did

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We ran three pre-match picks on this tie. Here is how they graded out now that the result is in — one of the three landed, but it was the one that mattered most.

• Argentina to advance — won ✅. Our lead play, and it came the hard way. Argentina trailed with five minutes left and still reached the final, dragging the game into the exact late, nervy phase their big-game pedigree is built for. It was never comfortable, but the headline call was right.
• Harry Kane anytime scorer — lost ❌. The one that missed on the shape of the scoreline. England did get their goal, but it came from Anthony Gordon off a Rogers cross, not from the captain — Kane was quiet in front of goal on a night England needed his finishing. A live ticket that never cashed.
• Under 2.5 goals — lost ❌. The tactical read went the other way. We flagged a tight, low-event semifinal, but three goals — two of them in the last five-plus minutes — pushed this over the line and turned a cagey game into a late thriller.

Final tally: one winner and two losers, though the headline read — Argentina to reach the final — proved correct in the end.

Next: Argentina in the final

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Argentina's reward is a place in the World Cup final against Spain, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, on Sunday, July 19, 2026 (3:00 PM ET). It is the reigning world champions against the reigning European champions, and it is happening in New York's backyard. Argentina back-to-back odds are live at every NY-licensed book alongside the full final matchups — first goalscorer, correct score, and the outright.

For a complete breakdown of the final, see our World Cup Final betting guide.

New York's stake in this one

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New York and the wider tri-state region are home to a large, passionate Argentine community, and the reigning world champions travel with a supporters' culture that fills a room with color and noise — the same wall of sound that followed them through 2022. Even with the match itself down in Atlanta, the Argentine spots across Queens and New Jersey and the British pubs in Midtown turned a semifinal night into a metro-wide event, and a late comeback like this one only raises the volume for what comes next.

For New York bettors the practical picture is simple: every market on the final will be priced pre-game and live at the state's licensed mobile books, and you can wager from anywhere in New York provided you are 21 or older and physically inside state lines. With MetLife Stadium hosting the Final on July 19, Argentina are now one win from a second straight trophy a short train ride from the city.

Bottom line

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England led for over half an hour and looked the likelier finalist, but a Lionel Messi masterclass in the closing minutes flipped it: a threaded pass for Enzo Fernández to equalise, a stood-up cross for Lautaro Martínez to win it in stoppage time, and a second straight final for the reigning champions. One of our three pre-match picks landed, but it was the call that mattered most — Argentina to advance. The attention now shifts to Sunday at MetLife, where Argentina meet Spain for the World Cup. Confirm every price in-app before you commit.

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