FIFA World Cup 2026 LIVE updates: Argentina comeback win over England seals final against Spain

Cutral Co: In a town in Patagonia boasting a new 26-metre statue of soccer superstar Lionel Messi, joyful Argentines celebrated their country’s advance to the World Cup final after they beat long-time rivals England.

It was a scene repeated in Buenos Aires and across the country. Now only Spain lies between Argentina and their attempt to be the first country to win a back-to-back title since 1962.

In Cutral Co in the southern province of Neuquen, a crowd of about 300 locals gathered to watch the game on a screen set up next to Messi’s towering knees. They burst into screams as the referee blew his whistle at the end of the semi-final against England. Argentina came back from being 1-0 down, ultimately winning 2-1.

“It was a victory of suffering,” said Lucas Romero, a 32-year-old local, standing next to his beaming wife.

Their average possession during the period between Gordon’s opener and Martinez’s winner – 55th minute until 92nd minute – was 12 per cent.

Throughout the game England attempted five shots – their lowest total in a single match all tournament.

We know first and second will go to Spain and Argentina (order to be determined after the final on Monday morning AEST).

But one thing is now guaranteed: the 2026 World Cup champions will be a nation that could not beat Cape Verde in regular time.

It feels like a lifetime ago that the World Cup debutants held Spain to a scoreless draw at the start of the group stage. And you might remember that, in the round of 32, they took Argentina to extra time, at which point they fell 3-2.

Argentina’s goalkeeper tells the BBC he knew how physical and strong on set pieces England would be but says his side “had the experience of coming back from losing positions”.

“They started defending a little bit deeper and that gave us a bit of an advantage through the lines,” Martinez continues. “Getting Messi on the wing was the key for us.”

Crucially, he felt the momentum swing after Gordon’s 55th-minute opener for England.

“We felt them going backwards and backwards, rather than going forward,” he says. “Sometimes when you are winning, you have to go forward anyway. You can’t change the game plan. I think they did it, and they put extra defenders.”

“We’re disappointed. We were so close, but we got too passive after we scored and conceded a lot of chances,” Tuchel tells the BBC.

“We could not turn the ball possession around and then conceded so many crosses, chances and shots. We were close but couldn’t keep the level up after we scored.”

On his substitutions:

“I did also offensive substitutions in the last games, we just tried to help the players,” he says. “We conceded [a chance] straight away and we decided to go to a back five because the gaps were far too open. They won every header, they kept crossing and crossing.

“So we went to a back five to close the gaps inside and be strong in the air. Straight after our goal, without any substitutions, we conceded way too many crosses and way too many chances, so we tried to help. Of course, the responsibility is on the coach and if it doesn’t go well, it is easy to say it was wrong.”

Earlier in the tournament Messi tied with and then eclipsed Miroslav Klose’s record for the all-time World Cup goalscorer, with Mbappe close on his heels. But now after this match, Messi also holds the record for all-time assists with 12 to his name.

There’s still time for Mbappe to overtake him as France play England in the third-place play-off on Sunday at 7am (AEST). If Messi doesn’t score or assist any goals in the final, Mbappe will only need two goals and two assists to hold the record in both all-time goals and assists.

Messi didn’t score in that match, but he’s still tied with Kylian Mbappe for the Golden Boot with both on eight goals.

France can’t win the World Cup, but they still have the third-place play-off to come against England.

If neither scores or assists any more goals, though, Messi will win the Golden Boot because he has more assists (4 to 3).