Lionel Messi fuels Argentina's stunning late rally past England into World Cup final

ATLANTA — The first half was a street brawl. The second half was ballet with chainsaws. And in the end, the outcome was never really in doubt. As long as Leo Messi draws breath, Argentina will win.

With two late, heart-stopping goals, Argentina caught and passed England in the World Cup semifinal, winning 2-1 in yet another miraculous, come-from-behind triumph. Battered but still alive, Argentina now advances to face Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday. Whatever that match carries, it can’t possibly be the emotional and physical fistfight that this one was.

Although they haven’t met on the pitch in 21 years, and haven’t faced each other in a knockout match since 1998, Argentina and England have a shared history of triumph and desolation, victories at one another’s expense, ugly off-pitch incidents, and the still-raw memory of a 1982 war between the two. Both titles and pride are at stake when these two nations meet, and it’s a toss-up as to which is more important.

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Players and coaches sought to cool ever-more-fiery tempers before the game. “It’s a football match; that’s all there is to it,” Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said, and his England counterpart, Thomas Tuchel, hit the same notes.

“The magnitude of the matches is just what it is,” Tuchel said. “I think it does not help if we engage emotionally.”

But Victoria Villarruel, Argentina’s vice president, didn’t abide by such pleasantries. In a Spanish-language X post the night before the match, she called England “usurping pirates,” adding that “against the English, it’s always something more. It’s the Malvinas, it’s Diego, it’s Leo’s last one, and it’s putting the brakes on the invaders. Go Argentina! Because until our last breath, we’re going to claim what’s ours!”

Supporters of both squads massed outside Atlanta Stadium hours before the gates even opened. The official allocations were situated at opposite ends of the stadium with different entrances, and security was on high alert for what FIFA and law enforcement officials have called the highest-risk match of the entire World Cup.

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Argentina fans, who far outnumbered England ones, spent the pre-match hours inside Atlanta Stadium chanting and cheering, whistling loud enough to drown out the chorus of “Sweet Caroline” and the entirety of “God Save the King” — but not, perhaps, loud enough to drown out their own dread.

Argentina flew close to the sun in every single one of its knockout round games, requiring either extra time or a dramatic last-minute comeback to advance out of each one. England had a tougher path, but fought ugly through both Mexico and Norway to reach Atlanta.

So would England’s battle-hardened squad triumph? Or Argentina’s miracles-on-demand crew? You could make an argument for both … and then the match began.

Matters got chippy within minutes, as both sides tangled, hit the pitch and screamed for official punishment. There were, of course, the usual theatrics, but there were plenty of collisions that could have drawn cards had the officials decided to keep a tight rein. As it was, the match often veered in the direction of a street fight, with bodies littering the pitch and indignation flying.

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As a result, the opening minutes of the match were an erratic, rhythm-free mess. Neither side could mount much of an attack without ending up thrown to the grass. A statistic that tells the story: at the first hydration break, the two squads combined for eight fouls and zero official shots on goal.

Coming out of the break, Argentina’s strategy was clear: hound and harass England by whatever means possible, drawing the more technical Three Lions into the uncomfortable realm of a dirt-lot brawl. Man for man, England were more talented than Argentina, but talent can always get taken out at the knees.

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The first official shot of the game came off an England free kick, as John Stones‘ header drifted just wide. The second England free kick a few minutes later descended into chaos, and Argentina quickly flipped the field. England’s Elliott Anderson earned himself the first yellow card of the match after collapsing onto Messi, which is considered a felony in Argentina.

Enzo Fernandez fired a shot just over the bar off a long miss from Messi; Pickford stretched long to block, but he wouldn’t have touched it had the shot been on target. Opportunity missed for Argentina.

The half ended, mercifully, with both No. 10s — Messi and Bellingham, along with Harry Kane — lobbying the referees as their teammates left the pitch. Argentina held a slight possession advantage, 48 percent to 45 percent, and both squads combined for 19 penalties, 12 of which belonged to Argentina.

Before many fans even returned to their seats, Argentina dove deep into England territory, as Julian Alvarez fired twice at Pickford. It was an encouraging sign for La Albiceleste, which had spent most of the previous half dragging England down to its level.

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And then, at minute 55, England finally broke through. Anthony Gordon, streaking down the left side, set up in a perfect position for a wide cross from Morgan Rogers. All that Gordon needed to do then was nudge it past Martinez. The dreaded offside flag remained holstered, and England held a 1-0 lead.

The Three Lions then immediately thrust their paws into the fire, allowing Argentina deep into their penalty box. Only a few fortuitous rolls, a brilliant Djed Spence tackle on Giuliano Simeone, and a timely save by Pickford just before the second hydration break kept Argentina off the board.

England continued dancing along the edge of the abyss after the break, with Argentine shots coming at Pickford from all directions. After one near-goal, Pickford seethed at everyone around him, from nearby officials to the poor stadium worker who tossed him a ball when he wasn’t ready.

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And then, in the 87th minute, Argentina did what Argentina does, coming through with a miraculous late goal. Enzo Fernandez, who had been banging away at Pickford all afternoon, finally blasted one past the England keeper, equalizing the match and sending the Messi jersey-wearing thousands into delirium.

Then, the dagger. Barely four minutes later, Messi found Lautaro Martinez, who struck deep and with finality to put Argentina ahead 2-1. La Albiceleste moves on to defend its title against Spain, while England must deal with its most heartbreaking loss in generations of them.