Fashionably late, ruthlessly on time: Argentina are making comebacks a habit at this World Cup

Argentina have made a habit of breaking the hearts of opposition players and their supporters by arriving fashionably late. On Wednesday in Atlanta, England became the latest victim on that list as Argentina’s victory extended their unbeaten run at the World Cup to 13 matches, the longest such streak in the tournament’s history, one better than Italy’s old record.

for an hour the World Cup semi-final against the Three Lions refused to ignite. The first half was scoreless, tight and even, with the two heavyweight teams pushing each other rather than swinging. England looked the more composed of the two and the breakthrough came on the hour mark. Anthony Gordon converted Morgan Rogers’ cross in the 55th minute to send the England end of the Atlanta Stadium into raptures. For a while it seemed enough. England sat in unbroken form, dreaming of a first final since 1966.

Then, as if on cue, Argentina found the extra gear that defined their entire tournament. They upped the ante, set up camp in England’s half and simply didn’t let up. In the 68th minute, substitute Nico Gonzalez met Messi’s cross with a header that was somehow kept out by Jordan Pickford. Eight minutes later, Alexis Mac Allister’s header from Rodrigo De Paulo’s cross was agonizingly close. England were repulsed wave after wave and a goal always felt like a matter of when, not if.

It duly came in the 85th minute. Enzo Fernandez equalized with a deflected strike from Messi’s pass, the ball flying wide of the far post before Pickford could react. Seven minutes later, deep into stoppage time, Lautaro Martinez rose highest to head home another Messi cross.

Final score: 2-1.

Argentina somehow made it to another World Cup final. England, meanwhile, have to fight for third place in the play-off against France, replaying the same last fifteen minutes in their heads.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Nor was it Argentina’s first robbery in a fortnight. Nine days earlier, they were staring down a 2-0 deficit against Egypt in the Round of 16. Messi had just seen a penalty saved and the escape door was wide open. Cristian Romero, Messi and Fernandez then scored three times in the final eleven minutes and stoppage time to complete one of the most dramatic comebacks in World Cup history. In the quarter-final against Switzerland, Argentina needed extra time before Julian Alvarez and Martinez sealed it deep into the next half-hour.

Three knockout games, three sweaty finishes, all tied after the 79th minute. Argentina arrive late but arrive with their final touches intact. The hour is coming, the winner is coming.

BEYOND MESSI: OTHER ARGENTINA HEROES APPEAR

The most striking part of this drive is how little of the actual finishing comes from Messi himself. Argentina have scored eight goals in their last three knockout games and only one of them, the equalizer against Egypt, had Messi’s own name on the scoresheet. Romero headed in the goal that started the struggle against Egypt. Mac Allister, Alvarez and Martinez did the damage against Switzerland. Fernandez and Martinez did it again against England.

Messi made the goals instead. Two assists against England, with the vision and delivery to turn Argentina’s late moves into real chances. Argentina used to be a team that relied entirely on one man to create a moment of magic. This version has learned to produce moments of magic from midfielders and centre-backs as well, with Messi orchestrating rather than always finishing. This is probably what makes this Argentina side more resilient than any before it.

THE NUMBERS GAME: MESSI GETS THE GOLDEN BOOT LEAD AGAIN

Strip away the theatrics and the most remarkable part of Argentina’s run is this: Messi didn’t score in either the quarter-finals in Switzerland or the semi-finals in England, and it barely mattered. The defending champions played like champions, even with their talisman in provider mode instead of finisher.

This assist move has a domino effect that will also matter on Sunday. Messi went into the semi-final level with Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Golden Boot with eight goals apiece, with Mbappe leading the way in the first tiebreaker with an assist. Messi’s two assists against England moved his own tally past Mbappe and gave the Argentine No.10 the lead in the race for the individual award that has eluded him at every previous World Cup.

SCALONI ATTACKS, TUCHEL RETREATS

The contrast in the dugouts told its own story. As the game got tougher, Lionel Scaloni went for the throatthrow in Nico Gonzalez and finally Martinez to add fresh legs in the attack. Protecting a 1-0 lead, Thomas Tuchel pulled England back into a five-man defense and called for a siege that ultimately cost them the game. One manager backed his team to win. The other prepared his team so as not to lose him. Only one approach survived the last fifteen minutes.

TUCHEL-BELLINGHAM UNDERCURRENT

It was not the first time that the mood in the England dressing room had been tested at this tournament. Days earlier, after a laborious 2-1 extra-time win over Norway in the quarter-finals, Tuchel was outspoken in his criticism of his own side, calling the performance sloppy and saying England were lucky to get through. Jude Bellingham, whose double actually won the game, he was not impressed when comments were put on himbrushed them off with one word “Whatever.” It was a small dent in spirits heading into the biggest game of the English summer and Wednesday’s collapse will only invite further scrutiny of Tuchel’s tactical caution under pressure.

CHOKERS AGAIN? ENGLAND’S FAITH PROBLEM

There is a particular flavor of heartbreak reserved for England at World Cups and Wednesday had all the tones of 2018 in Moscow, when Kieran Trippier’s early free-kick left them dreaming before Croatia crushed them in extra time. Different opponent, same ending. Despite being in the Premier League, arguably the best-funded and most-watched football competition on the planet, England have not won the World Cup since 1966. Fifty-nine years and counting, and Wednesday did nothing to shorten the wait.

Every tournament plays the same song. “It’s coming home,” the English fans chant half-hopefully and half-ironically, and that’s not the case at every tournament. The pattern now goes beyond bad luck. England still get to the business end of major tournaments with the talent to win them, and still find a way to talk themselves out of the target. Wednesday looked less like a team beaten by a better team at this point and more like a team that, deep down, wasn’t quite sure they believed they could get over the line. It’s a brand that follows English football wherever it goes: great for eighty minutes, then strangely allergic to the fact that games end.

Captain Harry Kane summed it up himself. He said England played well for much of the game but once they were 1-0 up they simply struggled to hold on, adding that “it’s not enough at this level”. It is as honest an admission as any of what has gone wrong for England, once again on the biggest stage.

EURO CHAMPION VS DEFENDING CHAMPIONS

Argentina advanced to Sunday’s final in New Jersey, chasing a fourth star and back-to-back titles, a feat only achieved by Italy and Brazil before them. Whether Scaloni’s side can find the late goals when it matters most on the biggest stage remains to be seen. But if this World Cup has taught anyone anything, it’s that writing Argentina off before the final whistle is a losing bet. England, Egypt and Switzerland could tell you.

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Published on:

17 Jul 2026 14:17 IST