England vs. Argentina Player Ratings: Inevitable Messi Conjures Stunning Comeback

Argentina was losing five minutes from time, yet swiftly turned defeat into victory to reach the final.

Lionel Messi assisted twice. | Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Argentina scored two late goals as it staged an incredible comeback to beat England 2–1 and reach the 2026 World Cup final on Wednesday.

The first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium lacked goal-mouth action as neither side mustered a single shot on target, but it made amends with its ferocity. The bad blood stoked by historical conflicts between England and Argentina seeped into every challenge, resulting in a stop-start affair littered with 19 fouls—more than the entirety of England’s 120-minute quarterfinal with Norway.

Both sides emerged from the break with a cooler head and an actual soccer game broke out, with England striking the first blow as Anthony Gordon fired home the opening goal from close range 10 minutes into the second period.

Argentina’s never-say-die attitude eventually shone through, however, with Enzo Fernández delivering an exquisite equalizer from range in the 85th minute, after which substitute Lautaro Martínez completed a stunning late turnaround with a winning header in stoppage time.

An extraordinary comeback means Argentina will face Spain in the World Cup final on July 19.

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One Thing We Can‘t Ignore

It was a night of celebration for Argentina. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

Argentina has spent the entirety of its knockout stage campaign on the cusp of disaster. Extra time has been required to bypass Cabo Verde and Switzerland, while Egypt led 2–0 at one stage of the round of 16 tie. Lionel Scaloni’s men had seldom convinced en route to the semifinal.

However, what Argentina has lacked in swagger, it’s more than made up for in durability, determination and unwavering self-belief. Those traits were once again showcased during an extraordinary comeback victory on Wednesday.

Spain exhibited its technical class and precision on Tuesday when toppling France, but Argentina’s approach was wildly different in Atlanta. La Albiceleste spent the first half scything down any white shirt within touching distance, focusing on rattling their counterparts rather than dazzling its supporters.

That strategy appeared set to backfire as England found the lead via Gordon, after which Thomas Tuchel chucked on defender after defender to keep Argentina and, most importantly, Messi at bay. However, this team simply refuses to die.

Against all odds, they once again defied logic. Two goals in just seven minutes spun the match on its head entirely, Argentina’s resilience finally matched by a sprinkling of quality from the likes of Fernández, Martínez and, of course, Messi.

There’s an inevitability about this Argentina team and that spells trouble for Spain. A second successive title might just be written in the stars.

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England Player Ratings vs. Argentina(4-2-3-1)

Jude Bellingham couldn’t get into the game. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Jordan Pickford—6.0: Entirely untested during the first half, but remained alert to make some terrific saves after the restart. Unfortunate to concede twice.

RB: Reece James—7.2: Argentina’s lack of natural width allowed James to glide through the clash without many scares, although the arrival of Nicolás González did make him sweat.

CB: John Stones—6.2: Allowed Martínez too much room in the penalty area to convert the match-winning header.

CB: Marc Guéhi—6.2: Solid for the most part and blameless in England’s late collapse.

LB: Djed Spence—6.8: Brimming with palpable belief as he drove up and down the left wing, causing issues with several powerful forward forays. One exceptional recovery challenge saved a certain goal.

CM: Elliot Anderson—6.8: Immediately willing to match the tenacity and aggression of Argentina’s midfielders, covering every blade of grass during a combative display.

CM: Declan Rice—7.6: Rose above the brutality of the midfield battle to diligently perform his duties in and out of possession. England regressed once he was withdrawn.

RW: Morgan Rogers—6.8: After earning a surprise promotion to the XI, Rogers supplied an inch-perfect delivery for the opening goal.

AM: Jude Bellingham—6.2: Offered glimpses of his talent with some dynamic runs deep into Argentina territory, but couldn’t conjure his trademark sorcery to save the Three Lions.

LW: Anthony Gordon—6.7: Gordon has faced criticism for his final product this summer, but he’s often delivered in England’s time of need. A clinical back-post finish added to three knockout stage assists.

ST: Harry Kane—6.2: England has often been reliant on Kane’s ruthless edge this summer, but the captain served up one of his tamer performances in Atlanta.

SUB: Ezri Konsa (72’ for Gordon)—6.0: Found life tough under wave after wave of Argentina pressure.

SUB: Nico O’Reilly (82’ for Rice)—N/A

SUB: Dan Burn (82’ for James)—N/A

SUB: Marcus Rashford (90+6’ for Spence)—N/A

SUB: Ivan Toney (90+6’ for Stones)—N/A

Subs not used: Dean Henderson (GK), James Trafford (GK), Trevoh Chalobah, Jordan Henderson, Eberechi Eze, Kobbie Mainoo, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Ollie Watkins.

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Argentina Player Ratings vs. England (4-4-2)

Messi strolled around with his usual swagger. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Emiliano Martínez—6.8: England didn’t do enough to test Martínez, who was helpless to deny Gordon.

RB: Nahuel Molina—6.8: Caught napping as Gordon raced in front of him to put England ahead. A worrying lapse in concentration.

CB: Cristian Romero—8.0: Contained Kane effectively and was often a magnet to the ball in his defensive third, constantly snuffing out danger.

CB: Lisandro Martínez—6.5: Deservedly cautioned for a cynical foul and was less assured than his center back partner.

LB: Nicolás Tagliafico—7.0: Perhaps could have closed down Rogers’s pinpoint delivery to Gordon, but generally kept the Aston Villa man at arm’s length.

RM: Giuliano Simeone—6.7: Motored around the field with boundless energy, yet struggled to best the industrious Spence.

CM: Enzo Fernández—8.2: Argentina needed a divine moment and it was Fernández who delivered. A mean strike brought his team back from the brink.

CM: Leandro Paredes—7.3: Catapulted himself into challenges and often came away with possession. Sacrificed after the hour mark as Scaloni sought more creativity.

LM: Alexis Mac Allister—7.0: Showcased the impenetrability and poise sorely lacking during his 2025–26 club campaign with Liverpool. Crashed the post twice.

ST: Lionel Messi—9.0: England nearly contained Messi, but he still ended up delivering the goods with two late assists. Simply inevitable.

ST: Julián Alvarez—7.5: Not the kind of performance that will inspire suitors Arsenal and Barcelona. Too often on the periphery.

SUB: Nicolás González (64’ for Paredes)—7.1: Helped change the game’s flow with an impressive cameo.

SUB: Rodrigo De Paul (73’ for Simeone)—6.8: Produced several sumptuous deliveries and helped open England up.

SUB: Gonzalo Montiel (73’ for Molina)—6.0: Not overly involved.

SUB: Nicolás Otamendi (73’ for Martínez)—6.4: Like Montiel, England barely tested him late in the match.

SUB: Lautaro Martínez (81’ for Tagliafico)—N/A

Subs not used: Gerónimo Rulli (GK), Juan Musso (GK), Facundo Medina, Marcos Senesi, Exequiel Palacios, Giovani Lo Celso, Nico Paz, Thiago Almada, Valentín Barco, José López.

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What the Ratings Tell Us

Lautaro Martínez nabbed the late winner. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

• Messi was not at his blistering best in Atlanta, yet still walked away having completely changed the match. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner assisted both of Argentina’s last-gasp strikes, the second of which was a stunning cross for Martínez to head home. The veteran always delivers.
• Just like his captain, Fernández was a game-changer. The Chelsea midfielder not only scored the all-important equalizer, firing a powerful effort beyond Pickford from outside the penalty area, he also managed a match-high 104 touches and misplaced just two of his 84 passes.
• England walks away from North America with another heartbreaking World Cup tale to tell and its two star performers failed to inspire on the grand stage. Both Kane and Bellingham offered little as the Three Lions fell short, failing to conjure the magic they have produced in previous rounds.

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The Numbers That Explain Argentina’s Dramatic Win

• For the first time in 60 years, there wasn’t a single shot during the first half-hour of a World Cup match. Relentless fouls and delays completely stifled both forward lines early doors.
• Argentina took complete control after England opened the scoring. Managing 64% possession and 1.84 xG in comparison to England’s 0.53, Scaloni’s side punished their opponents for dropping too deep.
• In the end, England can have few complaints about exiting. It produced just five shots across the match, only two of which were on target.

Statistic	England	Argentina
Possession	36%	64%
Expected Goals (xG)	0.53	1.84
Total Shots	5	15
Shots on Target	2	5
Big Chances	1	3
Passing Accuracy	84%	91%
Fouls Committed	11	15
Corners	1	6

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