Lionel Messi made the final pass for both Argentina goals as the world champions came from behind to beat England 2-1 in the World Cup semi-final. Spain await in the final on Sunday at New York New Jersey Stadium.
For most of the first half, nothing happened. There were 19 fouls and no shots on target, the most fouls without an attempt on target in any half at this tournament. It was the first World Cup match on record, going back to 1966, without a single shot in the opening 30 minutes. The two teams’ combined expected goals came to 0.08, the lowest for a first half in a World Cup knockout match.
John Stones headed just wide from a Declan Rice free kick. Enzo Fernandez’s follow-up after a blocked Messi shot cleared the crossbar by a whisker and had Jordan Pickford worried.
Gordon puts England ahead
England broke the deadlock 55 minutes in, and it began deep in their own half. Lisandro Martinez cleared acrobatically but only as far as Rice, who found Morgan Rogers. Rogers swung in a cross and Anthony Gordon swept it home.
Argentina had started the second half the brighter side. Julian Alvarez beat Djed Spence, but Pickford blocked his near-post shot and the second effort was deflected into the side netting.
Two crosses from Messi
The pressure grew after the goal. Spence made a last-ditch tackle to stop Giuliano Simeone, and Pickford dived to keep out a glancing header from Nico Gonzalez. Alexis Mac Allister met a Rodrigo De Paul cross and sent his header off the inside of the left post.
With five minutes of normal time left, Messi picked out Fernandez, who bent a finish around the crowd and into the far side of the net. Seven minutes later Mac Allister’s low drive rebounded off the post. Messi recycled the ball on the right and lifted another cross into the box, and Lautaro Martinez, unmarked, headed in the winner.
The numbers
Messi has now scored or assisted in 11 consecutive World Cup appearances, the longest run by any player on record since 1966. His two assists here take him to 12 at World Cup finals tournaments, 10 of them in the knockout rounds. No other player has more than eight in total.
Gordon had been involved in six goals in his last seven games for England, with two goals and four assists, after just two involvements in his first 18.
For England it was the second time this century that they scored first in a World Cup semi-final and still missed the final. The first was in 2018, when they lost 2-1 to Croatia in extra time.
