England's journey to a potential World Cup final ended in heartbreak as Argentina secured a 2-1 victory with two late goals. The Three Lions held a lead until the 85th minute before Enzo Fernandez equalized with a long-range strike, and Lautaro Martinez sealed England's fate with a stoppage-time header.
England had taken the lead in the 55th minute through Anthony Gordon, who converted a cross from Morgan Rogers. Manager Thomas Tuchel made several defensive substitutions in an attempt to secure the win, but these changes proved counterproductive.
Player Performances
Djed Spence was highlighted as England's best performer, earning an 8/10 rating for his contribution, which included a crucial tackle to deny an Argentinian goal when the score was 1-0. Spence's strong performance was noted as the best of his career until the late turnaround. Morgan Rogers also received a 7/10 for his assist on Gordon's goal.
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford earned a 7/10 for his saves, including denying Alvarez and Nico Gonzalez. However, he was unable to prevent Fernandez's powerful equalizer or Martinez's late winner, with the defense noted as having little protection.
Captain Harry Kane received a 5/10, marked by a lack of touches in the penalty area throughout the match. His forward play contributed to Gordon's goal, but he registered no shots on target.
Manager Thomas Tuchel received a 4/10 rating, with his late tactical changes cited as the reason for conceding ground and ultimately losing the match. Argentina's manager, Lionel Scaloni, received an 8/10.
Match Details
The match saw a physical first half with 19 fouls, though the referee, Ismail Elfath, issued only two yellow cards. England felt the referee could have been more stringent given Argentina's aggressive approach.
Argentina's starting lineup included Martinez in goal; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, and Tagliafico in defense; Fernandez, Paredes, and Mac Allister in midfield; and Simeone, Messi, and Alvarez in attack. England's formation was a 4-2-3-1, featuring Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, and Spence; Rice and Anderson in midfield; Rogers, Bellingham, and Gordon in attack, with Kane as the lone striker.
Substitutions for England included Ezri Konsa for Gordon, Dan Burn and Nico O'Reilly for Rice, Marcus Rashford for Spence, and Ivan Toney for Stones. Argentina's substitutions saw Montiel replace Molina, Otamendi replace Lisandro Martinez, De Paul replace Simeone, and Gonzalez replace Paredes. Lautaro Martinez came on for Tagliafico before scoring the winning goal.
Argentina will now advance to the World Cup final for the second consecutive tournament. England's exit marks the end of their campaign for a first World Cup title since 1966.