Argentina reached the 2026 World Cup final after overturning a deficit to defeat England 2-1, setting up a historic showdown with Spain — the first time in World Cup history that the European champion and the Copa América titleholder have met in the final.
England took the lead early in the second half through Anthony Gordon, before retreating to defend their advantage as time wore on — a situation Argentina exploited to assert their dominance and change the course of the match.
Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez scored two goals in less than seven minutes, both set up by decisive passes from Lionel Messi, as the Argentina captain led his side to a second consecutive final appearance following their 2022 title triumph.
The eagerly anticipated final, to be held next Sunday, will carry a historic character, as it will be the first World Cup final to bring together the European champion and the Copa América titleholder.
Argentina are appearing in the World Cup final for the seventh time in their history and the second consecutively. They have previously won the title 3 times and lost 3 finals, while Spain have qualified for the final for the second time following their only title victory at the 2010 edition.