Argentina stun England with dramatic comeback to reach World Cup final
Argentina produced a remarkable late comeback to defeat England 2-1 in their World Cup semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday, securing a place in the final against Spain. The defending champions trailed from the 55th minute but struck twice in the closing stages, with Lautaro Martínez heading the winner in the second minute of stoppage time.
England took the lead through Anthony Gordon, who finished from Morgan Rogers' cross, as reported by multiple outlets including the Buenos Aires Times and France 24. But Argentina responded with relentless pressure, and Lionel Messi set up Enzo Fernández to equalise in the 85th minute. Seven minutes later, Messi crossed for substitute Lautaro Martínez, who headed in the winner.
"I dreamt it," Martínez said after the match, as quoted by the Buenos Aires Times. "I told Alexis [Mac Allister] that I was going to score and I said on the bench to Facundo Medina that I was going to come on and score."
The win sets up a final against Spain on Sunday at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, as reported by several outlets including France 24 and the Jerusalem Post. England will face France in the third-place play-off on Saturday.
Coverage comparison
Reporting on the match was broadly consistent across outlets. The core result, the scorers, and the late nature of the comeback were reported by all sources. Al Jazeera's coverage focused heavily on the first half, which ended goalless. Its report detailed the physicality of the opening period, noting heated exchanges and fouls from both sides. The referee gave two yellow cards in the first half, one to England's Anderson in the 38th minute and one to Argentina's Martínez in the 42nd. Al Jazeera also reported that England had seven fouls in the first half, while Argentina had 12, and that Argentina dominated possession with 56 percent to England's 44 percent.
Several other reports mentioned the first half only in passing, focusing instead on the dramatic conclusion. The Buenos Aires Times and France 24 both described Argentina's comeback as "stunning" and "dramatic," while the Jerusalem Post called the match "stirring" and "epic." The tone of the Argentine outlet was more celebratory, with direct quotes from players and coaches.
One point of divergence: while most reports attributed England's defeat to their inability to hold the lead, the Buenos Aires Times' early match report also cited "awful Argentina defending" for England's goal. Another Buenos Aires Times report noted that England coach Thomas Tuchel opted to defend after taking the lead, a choice that backfired.
Key claims
- Argentina won the semi-final 2-1 against England, with all goals coming in the second half.
- Anthony Gordon scored England's opener in the 55th minute.
- Enzo Fernández equalised in the 85th minute from a Lionel Messi assist.
- Lautaro Martínez scored the winning goal in the 92nd minute, heading in a Messi cross.
- Argentina will face Spain in the final on Sunday at the MetLife Stadium.
- England will play France in the third-place play-off on Saturday.
- The first half ended 0-0, with two yellow cards and several fouls.
- Messi has eight goals and four assists in this World Cup, and a tournament-record 12 career assists.
- Spain enters the final with a 37-match unbeaten streak, with 30 wins and 7 draws.