Argentina reached the World Cup final with a dramatic late comeback, beating England 2-1 in the semifinal in Atlanta as Lionel Messi conjured two goals in the closing stages to break English hearts.
England had looked on course for a first World Cup final since 1966. Anthony Gordon put them ahead in the 55th minute, and for half an hour the lead held. But Argentina, the holders, found a way back, as they have repeatedly in this tournament, according to Al Jazeera.
Messi turns the game
The turnaround was Messi's doing. In the 85th minute, Enzo Fernández finished off a Messi cross to level the score, and deep into stoppage time Lautaro Martínez headed in another Messi delivery to win it, as ESPN reported. Named the game's best player, Messi again proved decisive at the moment it mattered most, setting up both goals with pinpoint balls into a tiring England defence.
For England, it was a painful way to lose, ahead for much of the match only to be undone in the final minutes, and their long wait for a second World Cup, after 1966, goes on.
Holders one win from history
Argentina's victory keeps alive their bid to become the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962. Their run to the final has been built on resilience as much as flair, with a habit of scoring late that has carried them through tight games.
The final is set
The result completes the line-up for Sunday's final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where Argentina will face Spain. The European side reached the final earlier in the week with a comfortable 2-0 win over France, and now stand between Argentina and back-to-back world titles. It sets up a meeting between two of the game's heavyweights, and, for Messi, another chance on the sport's biggest stage in what may be the closing act of a storied international career.
