World Cup 2026: Argentina break England hearts and head for final with Spain – live

Key events

There was pleasure and pain inside Atlanta Stadium and far beyond. Here is a little taster with a full picture gallery of shots from the England and Argentina semi-final below …

Joy for Lionel Messi as Argentina come from behind to defeat England in a World Cup semi-final. Photograph: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images

Argentina fans celebrate during the World Cup semi-final against England. Photograph: DeFodi Images/Shutterstock

Lionel Messi and Argentina teammates celebrate after defeating England in a World Cup semi-final. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Danehouse/Getty Images

England captain Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham face reality after semi-final defeat to Argentina. Photograph: Dave Shopland/Shutterstock

Preamble

And then there were two. Whether you’ve been celebrating Argentina’s come-from-behind triumph or commiserating England’s World Cup exit with a heavy heart, the focus will soon turn toward the final between the reigning champions and Spain.

But before we reach that point, there is still time to catch up on Argentina’s semi-final win against England, and all that happened and was said in the aftermath of yet another memorable World Cup clash between the bitter rivals.

And where better to start than David Hytner’s report from the thrilling match at Atlanta Stadium.

England’s destiny is tournament heartbreak. The only question concerns when it comes and how the fates will contrive to make it as painful as possible. This was an implausibly brutal new low.

If you have any thoughts on the World Cup semi-finals, early predictions for the final or just feel the need to vent – shoot me an email, or find me on Bluesky @martinpegan.bsky.social. Let’s get into it!