Led by captain Lionel Messi, Argentina produced a remarkable comeback to defeat England 2-1, securing their spot in the FIFA World Cup final for the third time in the past four tournaments.

This victory over the English side not only earned the Albiceleste a place in the 2026 final but also elevated them to their seventh overall World Cup final appearance. With this achievement, Argentina have now overtaken Brazil in the all-time standings for the most finals contested by national teams, trailing only Germany.

Argentina will now face Spain in the final, presenting them with the opportunity to improve their overall record in tournament deciders. So far, the South Americans have appeared in six finals, splitting them evenly with three wins and three losses. Their triumphs came in 1978, 1986, and 2022, while they finished as runners-up in 1930, 1990, and 2014.

Meanwhile, Spain’s progression to the final—only their second in history after overcoming France in the other semi-final—means England join a small group of nations that have reached the World Cup final only once. The other two are Sweden, who did so in 1958, and Croatia, who achieved it in 2018.

Most World Cup final appearances:

1: Germany – 8 finals (1954, 1966, 1974, 1982, 1986, 1990, 2002, and 2014)
2: Argentina – 7 finals (1930, 1978, 1986, 1990, 2014, 2022, and 2026)
3: Brazil – 6 finals (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 1998, and 2002) and Italy (1934, 1938, 1970, 1982, 1994, and 2006)
4: France – 4 finals (1998, 2006, 2018, and 2022)
5: Netherlands – 3 finals (1974, 1978, and 2010)