Argentina staged a dramatic comeback to defeat England 2-1 in the 2026 World Cup semifinals, ending England's hopes of ending its 60-year title drought.
England held a lead for 78 minutes before Lionel Messi and his teammates secured a victory that keeps their title defense alive. The loss left players like Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane expressing deep disappointment.
"Gutted for the boys. Gutted for everyone: the staff, the fans," Kane said. "We played a good game for the large majority of it. When we went 1-0 up we just tried to hold on, which at this level, is not enough. Just gutted because we've worked so hard to be here and the lads have given every last bit of running, sweat, blood, tears, whatever it is. So for that to fall short, is just gutting."
England manager Thomas Tuchel acknowledged that the team became too passive after scoring the opening goal. "We're disappointed," Tuchel said. "So close, but we got too passive after we scored. Conceded a lot of chances, and could not turn the possession around. Conceded so many crosses and chances and shots. We were close, but couldn't keep the level up after we scored."
Jude Bellingham was a standout performer throughout the tournament, scoring six goals and providing one assist in the lead-up to the semifinal. He scored a brace in both the round of 16 match against Mexico and the quarterfinal against Norway. Despite his individual success, the collective result weighed heavily on him. Bellingham was visibly emotional after the match, sharing a hug with Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni and engaging with opposing players.
Harry Kane also matched Bellingham's goal tally with six for the tournament, but he was unable to score in England's final two matches. He was involved in the play that led to Anthony Gordon's goal in the semifinal.
The semifinal match was characterized by its physicality, and England found itself on the back foot after taking the lead, conceding two goals in the latter stages of the game. The team's strategy shifted to a more defensive posture after scoring, which allowed Argentina to increase its attacking pressure.