England vs Argentina Highlights - 2026 FIFA World Cup - Semifinals

Three changes for this England team. Thomas Tuchel talking about the two changes in the back. Both fullbacks coming in. Jed Spence on the left, Rhys James on the right. Call them specialists. He wants to see Spence especially getting into the attack. The other surprising change, Morgan Rogers coming in on the right midfield position. Thomas Tuchel just said, I have a feeling he came on against Norway, made a difference. But this team has been Kane combining for 12 of England's 13 goals. On the other side, just one change for Argentina, and it is Giuliano Simeone, the son of Diego Simeone, who was a big part of the game when England and Argentina faced off in 1998. Got David Beckham sent off in that match. I think Scaloni also leaning a little bit into the history. Simeone has only played 71 minutes in the tournament so far. Other than that, unchanged. Julian Alvarez coming off that wonder goal against Switzerland. He's being wrestled to the ground by Elliott Anderson. Argentina thought there was a foul. You couldn't hear the whistle if it came, and then Anderson is pulled over from behind. And already Israel Elfath has his hands full. We saw him in the pregame warm-ups going up to players and talking to them. Oh, here we go, too, in the middle of the field, battling him now. Now, look, we couldn't have set the stage anymore for this. This is going to be happening throughout the game. But look off the ball. So there's Enzo Fernandez. So in saying that, I'm sure he'd much rather actually be down there. Great play from Bellingham. First we've really seen him get in the game. He'll reel away from Simeone. Takes a tackle. Felder-Rodgers could have been advantage. It's going to be whistled in. It's an England free kick. Drew Bellingham said to be patient in a game like this, and you do. Harry Kane's only got four touches of the ball. Now we're in the 32nd minute of the game, and there's a clear foul coming across the legs of Drew Bellingham. Franklin Rice stands over it as James walks away. Everyone back to defend for Argentina. Rice clips it into the traffic. Stones was up for it. Bounces wide. Natalia Fico at the bottom of your screen is going to feel really annoyed that he doesn't get the call here, because watch Morgan Rodgers plows him over and just creates a little bit of a pick right there with the two hands. That would have been an interesting decision had that ended up as goal for John Stones. Heads it away. Turns first to the loose ball. Rice mishit it. Alvarez trying to play in space to the far side. Lionel Messi. Jet Spence trying to get there first. Able to slow Messi up. Messi around three England players still on the ball. Lionel Messi fouled as he gets rid of it. Ismael Alfad wanted to play advantage. Enzo Fernandez was uninterested in that, because their man Messi went down. This should be the first yellow. And in comes to Calvary to circle around him. The yellow card is out. And this is also something Mark Plattenberg talked about before the game about how Argentina will surround the referee. And just watch as this foul happens. The way in which they converge and try to put pressure. But this is a yellow card foul. Absolutely. How good was Messi there? First of all, it was a good job by Spence and then Kane to stop that counterattack and force Messi backwards. And still somehow he spun out of that. And instead of dishing it off with four English shirts, he says, you know, I'm going to chip it over. So here's the first one. Spence does really well here. Now Kane's trying to make a foul. Messi says, see you later. And then a little scoop. And then Anderson says, you're not going past me without a foul. And he knows he's beat. Spence actually budges him before that. Messi for Paredes. Messi driving forward. Messi through traffic blocks. Calls to Enzo Fernandez. His shot didn't mean by much. And Argentina is saying it took a touch from Pickford or perhaps a defender on the way through. He plays this short to create a better angle for a delivery. Then tries to take a shot. No, it didn't take a touch. But boy, oh boy. Messi. He was going red by rice. Now can England break out? Rodgers, lovely touch to swim his way at least through Martinez, who was pulling it back. And he's going to get a yellow card for that. Anthony Gordon's got his hands on his heads. He was wide on top of the screen. And I think Martinez doing just enough here to stop Rodgers, to be able to play that ball just out of your screen right there. He comes in late. Look how open he was. Final chance for England to change the story going into the break. Jed Spence has Gordon to the outside of him. Anderson making himself an option for Gordon. Gordon's going to drive in himself. Now he clips it. Takes a deflection off an Argentine defender. But it's been all fast. It's going to end the half before a corner can be taken. And I think that's where if you have players that are good 1v1, if you can win your duel, beat your guy, that opens up the entire field. That's a good looking ball finding. Yes, he was onside. Alvarez picks it up in front of Spence. Alvarez near Posey. Pickford first off of the game. Job not done. Messi trying to pick it up. Great work by Declan Rice. Although it's again given away by Spence. And now Alvarez misses out the near post. Back-to-back chances for Argentina. And Simeone wins the first one. Then they play a two-man game. Alvarez gets his man on the floor. As calm as you like him, plays a perfect ball out to Molina. My goodness. Milligan's going to pick that one up. And Romero just wraps him up. He is. And now that is both center backs for Argentina. Sitting on yellow cards. Yeah, felt like he had to make the play. Good balance from Milligan. Just scoots away. And look at Harry Kane's position here. He's dropping really deep. Now to play a pass. Rodgers the target. Tracking it over his shoulder. Acrobatic clearance from Taliafico. The job not done as it was held up by Rice. Rodgers' chance to cross hooks. And it's got it. It's Anthony who puts England in front. Early in the second half of the semi-final. What's the part of Kane's game that doesn't get enough credit? Look how deep he drops. Well that creates the space in behind to run. Because all of a sudden now Argentina squeezing up a little bit. Morgan Rodgers onside. How about the job from Declan Rice picking up that second ball. And then Anthony Gordon anticipates. Comes around the weak side of Molina. But what a finish that is for his first World Cup goal. Winger to winger started by Kane. Six goals in the tournament for Harry Kane. But that pass right there opens up the Argentine defense. Kane the playmaker. Gordon the finisher. And England lead against Argentina. And then it's misplayed. It just ran under the feet of Luzondra Martinez. It's behind Harry Kane. And England can't take advantage. Messy. Lovely play. Enzo Fernandez gets it away quickly. Giuliano Simeone running in. Simeone. What a tackle by Jed Spence to play it out for a corner. What a tackle. You have to get this tackle perfect. And he does. The timing to go to ground and commit. If you could try to sneak in right to the other side for Enzo Fernandez. And his shot will end up out over the bar. Molina once again. Last man back to hold it in. Resets for Lionel Messi. Messi will hook this cross into a great spot. What a save. Jordan Pickford. Spence's foul controlling the rebound. Jordan Pickford. Does he get the credit he deserves or not? He's England's all-time leading games player. And he makes a remarkable save to take us into the hydration break. I'd say look at that. It's down at his feet. He's backing up. He was high to try to maybe get the cross. And then his position. You're going to have to suffer in different moments. And they have. They come up with big saves from big players. That save from Pickford. Mendy now on the ball. For Enzo Fernandez. DePaul. DePaul into it. It hit the post. That was McAllister. And then Alvarez mishit the rebound. Saw there in that sequence. Because look at all the space. Spence is 1v2. So DePaul has time to pick up his head and play a ball. And now you have all the attacking players. DePaul again hooks this one in. It was McAllister once more. It was right at Pickford. And then he milks an extra few seconds after making his third save of the game. Enzo Fernandez trying to direct traffic. Messi's in the middle now. Hooking it in. Back post. Gonzalez wide across the face of goal. Well he had switched the defensive shape. And he still can't find a way. England are getting pushed so so deep. They need to get up the field. And that is going to be maybe potentially offside. Argentina just bring all the fury. Attack in the box. It's four or five guys. It's so difficult to defend. And every time they're getting time and space to deliver these balls. There's just chaos in front of the goal. Look how deep England are right now. All the players. Small. That would have been tight. He doesn't look offside to me. But that header. He's going for goal here. Looking for the foot. That was really well hit to Mendy. Nico Gonzalez did well to bring it down. Now a shot from a long ways out. Takes a touch from Pickford. That was Enzo Fernandez. That's Pickford's fourth. Is that a couple from deep? He can hit him. Gets this one really well. Cuts across it so the ball's moving. And also enough a situation if you're Pickford where you take a chance. Take it short. Back for Messi. Messi on Spence. Trying to find space for that left foot into the middle. Enzo Fernandez. Argentina. They always find a way. Denied just seconds before this. Gets the ball. The top of the box is Messi on side. Oh it's tight. It looks like he is. And he picks up another assist. But attracts two bodies. And Anderson comes over. But that leaves Enzo Fernandez free at the top of the box. Messi attracts three. There's got to be somebody open. But you still need the finish. How about that Enzo Fernandez? His second goal of this World Cup and it's a beauty. Just bending away from Jordan Pickford at full strength. Enzo Fernandez the goal scorer. Gonzalez. In for Alexis McAllister. Second time today. And Spence beats Messi to the ball. Still in. Spence might be hurt. Messi resets. Messi driving in. Messi crossing back. Lautaro Martinez. Stoppage time. Go ahead Argentina. Argentina kicking down the English wall. Trying their best to hold on. Lionel Messi has time and space. Jet Spence is a little banged up. I think he always goes left. Think again. To the right. It delivers a ball on a platter for Lautaro Martinez. Off the bench. But it's Messi magic again. And the Argentines find a way. Down a goal. A punch back. Not once but twice. And the Argentines explode in Atlanta. What a goal. What a comeback. What a game. They can't believe it. Argentina's bench is furious. Last chance for England. Here we go. Pickford into the box. Martinez tracking. Can't get it cleanly. It's not free. The whistle goes. It's a handball. It's a free kick for Argentina. But once this is in play, it'll count as a game-winning goal in the semifinal. Indeed it is. Argentina do it again. And they said today was Spain. Sunday in New Jersey in the World Cup Final.