Full Time: Argentina 2-1 England. Lionel Messi set up two goals in the final ten minutes as Argentina came from behind to beat England 2-1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on July 15, 2026, completing the World Cup 2026 final: Argentina vs Spain on July 19 at MetLife Stadium.

The Result

Anthony Gordon put England ahead in the 55th minute, tapping home a Morgan Rogers cross in transition to send the Three Lions in front. England held the lead into the final quarter of the match before Argentina's substitutes and Messi turned the game. In the 85th minute, Messi picked out Enzo Fernandez, who finished to level the score. Seven minutes into stoppage time, Messi again supplied the pass, and Lautaro Martinez headed home the winner to complete the comeback in the 92nd minute.

It's Argentina's second dramatic late turnaround of the knockout stage, following their extra-time win over Switzerland in the quarterfinals. England, who needed extra time themselves to beat Norway in the last eight, exit having reached back-to-back World Cup semifinals for the first time since the 1990s.

What It Means

Argentina reach their third World Cup final in four tournaments, and a win on July 19 would give Lionel Messi -- playing what he has said will be his last World Cup -- a second title to go with 2022. Argentina now face Spain, who beat France 2-0 in the other semifinal on July 14. England's run ends in the semifinals for the second straight World Cup; they play France in the third-place match on July 18 in Miami.

The Final Is Set

  • Fixture 1: Spain 2-0 France, Semifinal 1 -- AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, July 14, 2026 (Oyarzabal, Porro)
  • Fixture 2: Argentina 2-1 England, Semifinal 2 -- Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, July 15, 2026
  • Scorers: Gordon 55' (England); Fernandez 85', Martinez 92' (Argentina). Assists: Rogers (Gordon); Messi (Fernandez, Martinez).
  • The final: Argentina vs Spain, Sunday, July 19, 3pm ET, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey. See our match page.
  • Third-place match: France vs England, Saturday, July 18, 5pm ET, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida.

FIFA's closing ceremony kicks off at 1:30pm ET on July 19, ahead of the final -- see our full guest list and details. WorldCupElite will keep tracking the verified results through the World Cup 2026 final. For the full picture, see our match hub.

Sources & Further Reading