Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17841559393901784155935655.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"></span></span></span></div><p>Argentina&#x27;s forward Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his team&#x27;s second goal during the 2026 World Cup round of 16 football match between Argentina and Egypt at Atlanta Stadium. Thomas Coex, AFP</p><div><br/></div><p>Lionel Messi engineered a spectacular comeback for Argentina against England in their World Cup semi-final on Wednesday to keep the defending champions on track for back-to-back titles.</p><p>England were agonisingly close to reaching their first World Cup final for 60 years before succumbing to relentless pressure from Lionel Scaloni&#x27;s team, who roared back to win 2-1.</p><p>It sets up a mouthwatering contest between reigning European champions Spain and South American champions Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/7/15/majestic-spain-stun-france-to-reach-world-cup-final-0734">Spain deliver World Cup masterclass against France to reach final</a></div><p>&quot;The other day I said this group never stops surprising me,&quot; said Scaloni. &quot;And I&#x27;ll tell you the truth, we&#x27;re going to try to win, we&#x27;re going to leave everything out there.</p><p>&quot;But after this it&#x27;s very difficult to get people to understand what these players are showing. It&#x27;s incredible. We are unique, truly, and it&#x27;s not arrogance, it&#x27;s from the heart.&quot;</p><p>Anthony Gordon fired England ahead in the 55th minute but Argentina refused to be beaten, pouring forward in waves and forcing their opponents back.</p><p>Enzo Fernandez smashed home an equaliser from Messi&#x27;s assist 30 minutes later but still they were not done.</p><p>Substitute Lautaro Martinez rose to head home Messi&#x27;s cross in stoppage time to complete the comeback and England ran out of time.</p><p>It is a bitter blow for the Three Lions, who have come so close at recent major tournaments but have been unable to get over the line.</p><p>Tuchel defended his tactics after England appeared to hand the initiative to Argentina.</p><p>&quot;In the moment, no regrets. The team gave everything and we were very, very close,&quot; said the German. &quot;We deserved to be up 1-0.</p><p>&quot;We played one of our better matches, maybe our best match in the circumstances. The team was top, we couldn&#x27;t get over the line but no regrets.&quot;</p><p>Captain Harry Kane said the English disappointment was enormous, adding: &quot;Gutted for the boys, gutted for everyone -- the team, the staff, the fans.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>TENSE ATMOSPHERE </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>&quot;God Save the King&quot; was drowned out by Argentine singing in a crowd dominated by supporters in the blue-and-white shirts of the defending champions.</p><p><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2026/4/17/victoria-beckham-defends-parenting-amid-rift-with-son-brooklyn-0742">David and Victoria Beckham</a> were in the crowd at the air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium, along with Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger.</p><p>England broke the deadlock 10 minutes into the second half when Gordon burst into the box, getting in front of Nahuel Molina to sidefoot home Morgan Rogers&#x27; cross.</p><p>Scaloni made a triple change after the second-half hydration break as he searched for a way back into the game.</p><p>Alexis Mac Allister thundered a header against England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford&#x27;s right-hand post and then drew another save as England clung on to their slender lead.</p><p>Three-time champions Argentina got their reward in the 85th minute when Chelsea midfielder Fernandez lashed home from outside the penalty box after being set up by the irrepressible Messi.</p><p>Argentina stayed on the front foot, determined to press home their advantage and Messi was again the man for the big moment, producing an inch-perfect cross for Martinez to head home in the 92nd minute.</p><p>The 39-year-old has produced the magic again and again in his final World Cup, dragging his team to a third final in three tournaments.</p><p>He has scored eight goals so far to sit joint top of the Golden Boot standings and now has four assists as well.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>TENSIONS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The fixture between two of the big beasts of global football was given added spice by a lingering sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, known in Spanish as the Malvinas, in the South Atlantic Ocean.</p><p>Argentina&#x27;s Vice President Victoria Villarruel upped the stakes ahead of kick-off in Atlanta by calling the English &quot;usurping pirates&quot;, despite efforts by head coach Scaloni to keep the focus on the game.</p><p>After the game Argentina players held up a banner on the pitch saying &quot;Las Malvinas son Argentinas&quot; (The Falklands are Argentinian).</p><p>Spain reached the final after producing a masterclass in Arlington, Texas, to beat favourites France 2-0 on Tuesday, meaning Messi will face the country where he played the majority of his career for Barcelona.</p>

<p>Lionel Messi engineered a spectacular comeback for Argentina against England in their World Cup semi-final on Wednesday to keep the defending champions on track for back-to-back titles.</p>

Lionel Messi engineered a spectacular comeback for Argentina against England in their World Cup semi-final on Wednesday to keep the defending champions on track for back-to-back titles.

Messi magic sends Argentina into World Cup final

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Messi magic sends Argentina into World Cup final

Agence France-Presse

Published July 16, 2026 06:54 AM PHT

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World Cup

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