England 1–2 Argentina — Semi-final, Match 102
Argentina beat England 2–1 in Match 102 of the World Cup 2026 semi-final at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta on July 15, 2026. Argentina advanced to the final; England were eliminated.
How the tie was set up
The second semi-final brought together England and defending champions Argentina in Match 102. England reached the last four by beating Norway 2–1 after extra time, while Argentina came through 3–1 after extra time against Switzerland. Argentina won 2–1 and advanced to the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium, against Spain, who beat France 2–0 in the first semi-final.
How they got here
- England — Beat Mexico 3–2 in the Round of 16, then Norway 2–1 after extra time in the quarter-finals. Norway 1–2 England, a.e.t. (Quarter-final, Match 99)
- Argentina — Came from 2–0 down to beat Egypt 3–2 in the Round of 16, then beat Switzerland 3–1 after extra time in the quarter-finals. Argentina 3–1 Switzerland, a.e.t. (Quarter-final, Match 100)
Head-to-head
One of the tournament's storied rivalries returns with a final place on the line: England chasing a first final since 1966 against the reigning world champions.
Result and recap
Argentina 2, England 1. Anthony Gordon put England ahead in the 55th minute, but Argentina struck twice late on: Enzo Fernández equalised in the 85th minute before Lautaro Martínez scored the winner in the second minute of stoppage time. Argentina are through to the World Cup 2026 final, while England's run ends in the semi-finals.
What it meant
Argentina went on to lose the final 1–0 to Spain after extra time at MetLife Stadium on July 19. England finished third: they beat France 6–4 in the third-place play-off in Miami on July 18, their best World Cup finish since 1966.