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How Lionel Messi, Argentina added to improbable World Cup comeback history with latest thriller vs. England originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Argentina may just have the soccer gods on its side at the 2026 World Cup.
The defending champions were a known threat to win it all coming into the biggest World Cup in history — but with Lionel Messi dominating the tournament early and Argentina cruising in the group stage, they didn't face much adversity.
In the knockout round, everything has changed. Argentina has continually been the team you can't count out, once again using a stunning comeback on Wednesday to beat England 2-1 in the World Cup semifinals, now due for a second consecutive final appearance vs. Spain.
Here's a look at Argentina's magical World Cup comeback vs. England in the semifinals and how it added to the country's run of come-from-behind performances.
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How Argentina came back against England
On paper, England vs. Argentina carried everything a high-stakes World Cup matchup could have: star power in Messi, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, a rivalry that dates back for decades in the World Cup, and of course, a trip to the finals on the line.
It lived up to the hype, first through high tensions in the first half. While things remained scoreless at halftime, it was evident that the two sides were playing a potential all-time classic.
England finally struck first in the 55th minute, with Anthony Gordon appearing to be a hero for his country. Giving England a 1-0 lead, he put the country one step closer to returning to the World Cup throne.
But Argentina has made spectacular comebacks look routine in the 2026 World Cup. The threat of Messi scoring or England surrendering its lead was lingering into the late second half.
In the 85th minute, it materialized. Enzo Fernandez scored on a beautiful strike, sending thousands of fans in attendance into a frenzy. Argentina had its equalizer.
England's collapse happened quickly — Argentina wasn't done, not needing extra time to pull the semifinal comeback off.
In the 91st minute, Lautaro Martinez became the hero after a second Messi assist, leaping into the air to get his head onto Messi's pass. Leaving the Atlanta crowd stunned, Martinez and Argentina began celebrating, only needing a few more minutes to close it out after trailing 1-0 through over 80 minutes.
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