Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
James Robson

Defending champion Argentina reaches World Cup final by beating England 2-1

Argentina England WCup Soccer - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Defending champion Argentina rallied to beat England 2-1 on Wednesday and reach the World Cup final.

Trailing 1-0 going into the last five minutes of regulation time, Enzo Fernandez and substitute Lautaro Martinez scored for Argentina.

Anthony Gordon had given England the lead, but Lionel Messi and Co. had other ideas.

Argentina pushed for an equalizer and the pressure eventually led to Fernandez scoring in the 85th minute. Martinez headed in the winner two minutes into injury time.

The game resumed one of the biggest rivalries in international soccer and there was a raucous atmosphere in the stadium even before kickoff as both sets of fans tried to drown out the other team’s national anthem.

Argentina will play Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

___

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.