Argentina Stuns England 2-1, Reaches World Cup Final

Argentina refused to let their World Cup dreams die, scoring two goals in the dying minutes to defeat England 2-1 and book a spot in Sunday's final against Spain.

The Wednesday semifinal at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey started slowly. In fact, it became the first World Cup match since 1966 without a single shot in the opening 30 minutes as both teams felt each other out.

England broke through first when Anthony Gordon fired home a pinpoint cross from Morgan Rogers in the 55th minute. The goal looked set to send England to their first World Cup final in decades.

But Argentina had other plans. The defending champions turned up the pressure, with several near-misses keeping English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford busy.

The breakthrough came in the 85th minute. Lionel Messi found Enzo Fernández on the edge of the box, and the Chelsea midfielder drilled a precise shot past Pickford to level the score.

Then came the knockout punch. Deep into stoppage time at the 92nd minute, Messi delivered another perfect ball into the box. Substitute Lautaro Martínez headed it into an empty net, sending Argentine fans into wild celebration.

Why This Inspires

At 39 years old, Messi showed that experience and vision can still change the biggest games. His two assists in the final minutes demonstrated the kind of clutch performance that separates legends from great players.

Argentina now has a chance to make history. If they defeat Spain on Sunday, they'll become the first nation since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 to defend their World Cup title successfully.

For England, the loss was heartbreaking but the tournament still brought a milestone. Captain Harry Kane earned his 121st international cap, becoming the country's most-capped outfield player and passing Wayne Rooney in the record books.

Sunday's final promises to be a showdown between South American grit and European precision, with Argentina's dream of consecutive championships hanging in the balance.