Until the 85th minute of Thursday’s semifinal, Argentina were trailing England by a goal, and a spot in the final seemed to be slipping away. The clock seemed to be carrying Lionel Messi away with it.

They drift through the tournament with the emotional weather of a commuter stranded at Farmgate in the rain, watching every bus except theirs crawl past.

Pedro Porro has turned Spain's right flank from a vacancy into a personal runway, capping a dazzling World Cup charge by helping shackle France's flying attackers and scoring a thunderbolt in Wednesday's 2-0 semifinal win in Dallas.

Fox Sports continued a record-breaking week in TV soccer viewership when Argentina's narrow victory over England on Thursday was the most-watched World Cup semifinal in English-language history, Variety reported.

Nadira earned player-of-the-match honours after completing a hattrick.

Built in 1979, the famous farmhouse planted the seeds of the beautiful final that is to come.

Root came in to bat with England 0-1 after Ben Duckett was caught behind off Jasprit Bumrah from the first ball of the innings and the home side were still struggling at 8-2 and 125-5 on a two-paced pitch

It appears the coaches of the losing semifinalists were guilty of underestimating their oppositions’ strengths while being overconfident of what had worked for them in the tournament.

Lionel Messi turned 39 during the course of this World Cup. Yet the things he has done, the numbers he has produced, and the sheer excellence he has displayed in North America continue to defy age and time.

The unanswered question is whether, when history finally presents the moment they have spent decades waiting for, they are brave enough to trust the football that got them there.

Spain's priority is to ensure Yamal, Porro and the rest of the squad are as fresh as possible for the final.

For much of the 2026 World Cup, Argentina's journey has appeared to rest on the timeless brilliance of Lionel Messi. Yet, as the defending champions stand one game away from retaining their crown, it has become increasingly clear that Lionel Scaloni's side have found heroes beyond their captain.

The 39-year-old Argentina captain provided assists for Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez in the dying minutes of Wednesday's highly charged clash at Atlanta Stadium as the world champions came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory.

The connection between Maradona and Messi goes far beyond shared celebrations. Both grew up in a football culture where every child dreams of wearing the No.10 shirt. On dusty pitches, with worn-out boots and endless passion, they learned to play the Argentine way -- with creativity, courage, and the ball always at their feet.

Hampered by Tuchel's cautious substitutions, England squandered a golden opportunity to reach their first World Cup final since 1966, blowing the lead as Argentina scored twice in the closing minutes to snatch a 2-1 win on Wednesday.

The image first captured global attention in 2024

The Golden Boot remains one of the few major honours missing from Messi's glittering career.

That is why Argentina are back in the World Cup final, because every time they were tested, they chose to fight instead of surrender

The defining narrative of this match lies in the sheer warfare on the pitch.

Following the thrilling encounter, players and coaches from both sides reflected on the dramatic contest.