Argentina defeats England 2-1 to reach World Cup final
Argentina came from behind to beat England 2-1 in the semifinal, securing a place in the final against Spain, while England will contest the third-place match against France.
Argentina overturned a 1-0 deficit to defeat England 2-1 in the World Cup semifinal in Atlanta, earning a spot in the final at MetLife Stadium against Spain. England took the lead in the 55th minute when left winger Anthony Gordon scored after a cross from Morgan Rogers. Argentina equalised in the 85th minute when midfielder Enzo Fernández struck from outside the penalty area, and substitute Lautaro Martínez headed the winning goal in stoppage time after a pass from Lionel Messi.
"I dreamed it, I swear. I told Alexis (Mac Allister) that I was going to score. I told him that I was going to come on and I was going to win it," Martínez said.
England captain Harry Kane expressed disappointment after the loss.
"I'm gutted for the team, the staff, the fans. We worked so hard to be here. The lads have given every bit of blood, sweat and tears. To fall short like we did is just gutting."
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said the team would aim to win the final.
"We're going to try to win, we're going to leave everything out there. It's incredible. We are unique, truly, and it's not arrogance, it's from the heart."
The match featured 19 fouls in the first half and two yellow cards. Referee Ismail Elfath briefly halted play to calm tensions. England made defensive substitutions in the 82nd minute, bringing on Dan Burn and Nico O'Reilly, but Argentina responded quickly with Fernández's goal three minutes later.
Following the match, Messi and England players exchanged handshakes on the pitch. Argentina will face Spain on Sunday, while England meets France on Saturday for the third-place playoff.