Argentina’s late drama: Masters of the comeback.

Messi orchestrates; teammates deliver as England fall in stoppage time.

Argentina have turned late-game heroics into their trademark at the 2026 World Cup. For the third consecutive knockout match, Lionel Scaloni’s side clawed back from the brink, this time stunning England 2-1 in Atlanta to book their place in the final.

The semi-final began as a tense chess match. England looked composed and struck first when Anthony Gordon converted Morgan Rogers’ cross in the 55th minute. For a while, Gareth Southgate’s successors under Thomas Tuchel seemed destined for their first final since 1966. England dropped deep, protecting their lead, but Argentina’s relentless pressure soon shifted the balance.

Messi, operating more as conductor than finisher, began threading passes that stretched England’s defence. Nico González and Alexis Mac Allister came close, with Pickford and the post denying them. Yet the breakthrough felt inevitable. In the 85th minute, Enzo Fernández curled in a superb equaliser off Messi’s pass. Then, in stoppage time, Lautaro Martínez rose to meet another Messi delivery, completing yet another dramatic turnaround.

This was not Argentina’s first escape act. Against Egypt in the round of 16, they overturned a 2-0 deficit with three goals in the final minutes. In the quarter-final against Switzerland, extra-time strikes from Julián Álvarez and Martínez sealed victory. Across these three knockout clashes, Argentina have scored eight goals after the 79th minute, proving their resilience under pressure.

What makes this run remarkable is Messi’s evolving role. Once the sole source of goals, he now thrives as the architect. He has scored only once in these knockout games but provided crucial assists, including two against England. That creative output has also pushed him ahead of Kylian Mbappé in the Golden Boot race, thanks to the assist tiebreaker.

The tactical contrast was stark. Scaloni injected attacking energy with González and Martínez, while Tuchel retreated into a defensive shell. England’s caution backfired, echoing past collapses where belief faltered at decisive moments. Captain Harry Kane admitted that simply holding on after taking the lead “was not enough.”

For England, the wait for a World Cup title stretches to 59 years. For Argentina, the unbeaten streak now stands at 13 matches, a new tournament record. As they head to New Jersey chasing a fourth star and back-to-back titles, one lesson is clear: Argentina may arrive late, but they always arrive.