Argentina beat England 2-1 to reach World Cup 2026 final

DALLAS, United States — Argentina came from behind to beat England 2-1 in the World Cup 2026 semi-final on Wednesday, securing a place in the final against Spain, according to BBC Sport and ESPN.

England led 1-0 before a late Argentina fightback, with Julián Fernández and Lisandro Martínez scoring in the closing stages to stun the Three Lions, ESPN reported. The result ended England's campaign under head coach Thomas Tuchel, The Guardian said.

Lionel Messi inspired the holders' turnaround, Yahoo Sports and olympics.com reported, as Argentina reached a second consecutive World Cup final. Spain await in the decider, NBC News confirmed. England's exit, their second successive semi-final defeat at a major tournament, was also noted by Sky Sports.

## World Cup 2026 semi-final: what the result means

The defeat extends England's wait for a first major trophy since 1966, while Argentina move within one win of a record-equalling fourth World Cup title, tournament records show. Spain's path to the final was confirmed separately by FIFA.

**Related:** [World Cup 2026: fixtures and results](/world-cup-2026) · [England at the World Cup](/england-world-cup-2026)

**Sources** - https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi_AFBVV95cUxOUDZ4ZTRTbkxCTVNYLV9FUVo3cTlQNFpKbUJTay1kZGJDb0djZF90UXN2alRta0N3akdpNGh5T0VvUERzOGE4LUd4N1BfYlJWeGJ0eG9CWlA1OHVhM0tvcWNEUjFFSXRUYVVlTmRJd0ZVbUstV1FLSUR0RGllaW1aNkNPV2x6WnNadFQ5NGJISlN0YUdWRlRDQzFKcVZzZ3RuYnhWejVwR1B6TFBzYWVxdTlIdGNaaVVxdmdHbWFycXZiZVN6Mno1Sk55RzAtSUF4UUZmUElBTHFpMHNzV0lqXzBnOHdOMURaZUZuNFY5VHA1b3l3X0lfam5KTGk?oc=5

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