FROM ATLANTA: England’s hopes of lifting the World Cup were shattered as they fell to Argentina in the semi-final.

And so the long wait for glory continues. Best wishes to the diminutive genius Lionel Messi and his Argentina side as they head to the World Cup final. But Thomas Tuchel will need to justify the defensive substitutions that ultimately cost England so much. Trying to protect the lead given by Anthony Gordon, he introduced three defenders—Nico O’Reilly, Dan Burn, and Ezri Konsa. However, the decision to replace Gordon removed a key outlet on the left flank, a relentless runner who had been troubling Argentina with his pace and clever movement.

It was a huge risk. True, Reece James was tiring, but why take off Declan Rice and Gordon? Those tactics had worked against Mexico and Norway, but this was Argentina. Tuchel effectively invited the opposition to attack. England dropped deep, attempting to withstand the inevitable onslaught as waves of blue shirts surged forward, fuelled by the passion of their supporters. These were the reigning world champions. This was Messi—mentioned in the same breath as Diego Maradona and Pelé, one of the all-time greats. Messi was never going to fade quietly into the Georgian night. He was always going to push harder, to pull his team, his nation, back into the contest. And he did. That’s what true legends do—they never give up.

An eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi is chasing both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball here, as well as a second World Cup. He went straight for England’s vulnerable heart. After 85 minutes, Messi cut the ball back for Enzo Fernandez, who struck brilliantly from distance to equalise. Two minutes into the nine minutes of added time, Messi again found space on the right. Spotting Lautaro Martinez’s run is one thing; delivering the perfect cross is another. Messi’s delivery was exquisite—curled over John Stones for Martinez to head home, breaking English hearts and extending the nation’s years of football anguish.

It was immensely frustrating. England had fought valiantly for so long. After all the lessons from history, this was about the here and now—the pressure, the stakes, and the prize. For much of the match, England stood firm against Argentina’s aggression and attacking intensity following Gordon’s opener. But, in the end, quality prevailed. The constant pressure told. It was a test of composure, discipline, and mental and physical strength. England believed they had passed that test—until Tuchel’s substitutions changed everything.

Details matter. The main detail, of course, is that Argentina now travel to New Jersey to face Spain. But it’s also worth noting that Elliot Anderson was outstanding. He was fouled three times in the opening exchanges and took it as a compliment. Giuliano Simeone appeared determined to showcase some of his family’s less admirable traits. Enzo Fernandez clattered into Anderson and Jude Bellingham, while Nahuel Molina hacked down Bellingham. The inexperienced American referee, Ismail Elfath, allowed a series of fouls to go unpunished before finally booking Anderson for a challenge on Messi and Lisandro Martinez for obstructing Morgan Rogers.

Bad blood has long marked this famous and often controversial rivalry over the past four decades—from the Azteca to Sapporo, via St-Étienne, and now Atlanta. It was fitting that David Beckham was in attendance—the man who once saw red and later redemption at the World Cup. He punched the air as England stood tall against the champions for so long. They were gutsy, smart, and defiant in a brutal, charged atmosphere. The anthems were drowned out by jeers. No wonder FIFA enlisted renowned boxing announcer Michael Buffer to hype up the crowd and introduce two heavyweights of world football.

England were ready for the fight—they had to be. This was a street battle, and Argentina are masters of that art. Tuchel’s side went toe-to-toe with the world champions, showing no fear. The first half was scrappy, but ten minutes into the second, England struck. Exploiting Argentina’s disorganised defence, Harry Kane laid the ball back to Rice, who released Morgan Rogers down the right. Rogers looked up and delivered a curling cross that bypassed Lisandro Martinez and sped across Emi Martinez’s goalmouth. Argentina’s defence failed to track Gordon’s clever run—he arrived in space ahead of the unsuspecting Molina, timed his stride perfectly, and calmly guided the ball past Martinez.

Argentina were never going to bow out quietly. Djed Spence slid in to dispossess Simeone, and Stones headed clear ahead of Nicolás Tagliafico. But then came those substitutions. And soon after, inevitably, came Messi.