Argentina beats England 2-1 to reach second straight World Cup final against Spain

Argentina advanced to its second consecutive World Cup final after defeating England 2-1 in the semifinal at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday. Goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez overturned an early deficit and sealed Argentina's place in Sunday's title match against Spain. Captain Lionel Messi, at 39 years and 21 days, became the oldest player to appear in a World Cup semifinal. Across six World Cups, Messi has contributed 21 goals and 12 assists, a combined 33 goal involvements that place him atop the tournament's all-time scoring chart. According to Opta statistics, Messi completed nine successful dribbles against England, the first player to reach that figure in a World Cup knockout match since 1966. His 12 assists also extended his record as the competition's all-time leader in that category. The victory gave Argentina its first win over England in regulation time since 1986 and sent Messi into his third World Cup final, joining Brazil's Cafu as the only players to reach that mark. Argentina will face Spain on Sunday for the championship.