Messi Breaks England Hearts As Argentina Book Their Place in the Final

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Messi Breaks England Hearts As Argentina Book Their Place in the Final

What a gut-wrenching night for England. For long spells, it looked like Thomas Tuchel's side were closing in on their first World Cup final since 1966. Then, in typical Argentina fashion, Lionel Messi and company pulled off a stunning late comeback to snatch the win and set up a final showdown with Spain on Sunday.

A Cagey Start

This had semi-final written all over it from the off — tight, physical, and full of niggly fouls. Argentina came out swinging early, looking to knock England off their stride, and there were a few meaty tackles flying in. England soaked it up well enough, with Jordan Pickford pulling off a couple of important saves, but neither side really carved out a clear chance before the break. It finished goalless at half-time, and you could sense things were about to open up.

Gordon's Moment of Magic

England came out with more purpose after the restart and deservedly went ahead in the 55th minute. Declan Rice slid the ball out to Morgan Rogers on the right, who picked out Anthony Gordon's clever run into the box. Gordon kept his composure and dinked the ball delicately over Emiliano Martínez. Cue wild celebrations, both inside the stadium and back home — England were suddenly just over half an hour from a place in the final.

Tuchel's Big Call Backfires

This is where the game turned. Instead of pushing on for a second, England dropped deep and tried to see the game out. Tuchel made a series of defensive changes and the team sat back — and the numbers tell the story, with Argentina enjoying something like 88% of the ball in the final half-hour.

That invited wave after wave of Argentine pressure. Messi, 39 years old and almost certainly playing in his last World Cup, pulled the strings throughout. England held on for a while, but the equaliser always felt like it was coming.

It arrived in the 85th minute. Messi found a pocket of space just outside the box and slid a pass through to Enzo Fernández, who curled a superb effort from 20 yards past Pickford and into the corner. Game very much back on.

Then, deep into stoppage time — nine minutes were added on — Argentina completed the turnaround. Alexis Mac Allister rattled the post, Messi pounced on the loose ball, drove down the right and whipped in a perfect cross. On came substitute Lautaro Martínez, who rose highest to head home the winner in the 92nd minute. Scenes of pure delirium in the away end, and heartbreak for England.

Final score: England 1 (Gordon 55') – Argentina 2 (Fernández 85', Martínez 90+2')

Messi turned provider for both goals — a fitting way to potentially bow out on the world stage.

Star Men

- Lionel Messi — maybe not at his sharpest for pace anymore, but his vision and game management were the difference. Two assists and a constant menace.

- Anthony Gordon — took his goal beautifully and put the effort in, but couldn't quite maintain the intensity late on, much like the rest of his teammates.

- Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez** — both stepped up when it mattered most.

- Jordan Pickford** — made some good stops but couldn't do anything about the late surge.

- Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham** — steady rather than spectacular; England could have done with a bit more of a cutting edge going forward.

By the Numbers

Argentina finished well on top for shots and possession, particularly in that frantic final stretch. England were clinical early on but ultimately paid the price for sitting back.

What They're Saying

Another cruel "so near, yet so far" night for England. Plenty will point the finger at Tuchel's decision to shut up shop after going ahead. Harry Kane admitted afterwards that the side were simply trying to hang on, but at this level, that's rarely enough.

For Argentina, it was champions' mentality on full display once again. The reigning champions have now reached back-to-back finals and will take on Spain as they look to defend their title — with Messi given one last shot at glory on football's biggest stage.

A proper World Cup semi-final classic, full of drama and late magic. Painful if you're an England fan, but credit where it's due — Argentina were ruthless when it counted. Football, eh? Cruel but brilliant.