Lorraine Williamson
Spain and Argentina will meet in the 2026 World Cup final after two semi-finals that reached the same destination by very different routes.
Spain controlled France from the opening stages and rarely allowed one of the tournament’s most dangerous attacks to settle. Argentina, by contrast, had to survive an England lead before striking twice in the closing minutes of a tense and increasingly dramatic contest.
Together, the results have produced a final between Spain’s measured collective football and Argentina’s capacity to turn a match through experience, quality and sheer persistence.
Spain 2-0 France: control, patience and defensive discipline
Spain’s victory over France was arguably their most complete performance of the tournament.
Luis de la Fuente’s side did not simply keep the ball for the sake of possession. Their passing had a purpose. Spain moved France from side to side, pressed quickly when possession was lost and prevented Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise from receiving the ball regularly in dangerous areas.
France had arrived with one of the strongest attacking records in the competition, yet they were largely reduced to speculative or hurried attempts. Mbappé, usually the focal point of every French attack, failed to produce a shot on target until the latter stages of the match.
Spain’s opening goal arrived in the 22nd minute after Lucas Digne conceded a penalty. Mikel Oyarzabal stepped forward and converted calmly, giving Spain a deserved advantage after their energetic start.
The penalty decision was debated, but Spain had already been the more coherent side. Their midfield circulation was sharper, their press was better organised, and France were repeatedly forced backwards before they could release their forwards.
Oyarzabal again showed why he has become such a valuable tournament player. He may not dominate matches in the manner of a traditional superstar, but his intelligent movement gives Spain an outlet between defenders. His penalty was his fifth goal of the World Cup.
Porro turns an excellent display into a decisive one
Pedro Porro was Spain’s outstanding performer.
The right-back defended aggressively, supported Lamine Yamal whenever Spain advanced down that flank and repeatedly anticipated France’s attempts to break forward. His energy allowed Spain to press without leaving their defensive line exposed.
Porro then scored the second goal in the 58th minute after combining with Dani Olmo in one of Spain’s best passages of the evening. The move reflected the way Spain had played throughout: a quick exchange, intelligent movement beyond the first defender and a decisive finish before France could reorganise.
Olmo’s role was also important. He occupied spaces between the French midfield and defence, linking Spain’s possession with their attacking runs. France often knew where he was but struggled to prevent him from receiving the ball on the turn.
Behind them, Spain’s defensive organisation was excellent. France were rarely permitted to attack an unsettled back line. When Spain lost possession, the nearest players immediately closed the ball while the defenders narrowed the spaces available to Mbappé.
France’s attacking talent fails to connect
France’s problem was not a lack of individual quality. It was the absence of a functioning attacking structure.
Mbappé was isolated for long periods, while Olise was unable to influence the match as he had earlier in the tournament. Désiré Doué found promising positions but did not make enough of them, and France’s final pass was either delayed or forced.
Digne endured a particularly difficult evening. He conceded the penalty and struggled to contain Spain’s attacks on his side. Theo Hernández provided greater attacking thrust after coming on, raising questions over whether France should have used him earlier.
William Saliba’s early injury also disrupted the French defence, but Spain’s superiority went beyond one enforced change. Didier Deschamps’ players looked disconnected, while Spain played like a side completely certain of its roles.
France had greater attacking firepower on paper. Spain had the clearer plan.
England 1-2 Argentina: late heartbreak in Atlanta
England came much closer to reaching the final, but the manner of their defeat will make it particularly painful.
The first half was tense, physical and cautious. Much of the play ended up with players on the ground. It started quite dirty. Neither side created much, with England wary of allowing Lionel Messi space between the lines and Argentina unwilling to commit too many players forward against England’s pace.
England emerged with greater purpose after the interval and took the lead in the 55th minute.
Morgan Rogers helped create the opening, carrying the ball forward before finding Anthony Gordon. Gordon’s finish rewarded England’s strongest spell of the match and appeared to place Thomas Tuchel’s side within reach of their first World Cup final since 1966.
Gordon’s direct running caused Argentina problems. He attacked space rather than waiting for the ball to arrive at his feet, while Rogers gave England a useful connection between midfield and attack.
For a period, England looked capable of controlling what remained.
However, they could not sustain it.
Argentina’s substitutions change the balance
Argentina gradually increased the pressure as the second half progressed.
Their replacements brought fresh movement and greater urgency, forcing England deeper. Instead of defending from midfield, England increasingly found themselves protecting the edge of their own penalty area.
That shift proved decisive.
Messi had been relatively quiet during the opening hour, largely because England crowded the central areas around him. Yet Argentina’s captain remained involved, drifting away from markers and waiting for the match to open.
In the 85th minute, Enzo Fernández produced the equaliser with a superb long-range strike. The midfielder had been one of Argentina’s more persistent performers, attempting to move the ball quickly even when England’s defensive shape remained compact.
The goal changed the atmosphere immediately. England, who had been minutes from the final, suddenly looked uncertain. Argentina sensed the vulnerability and continued attacking rather than settling for extra time.
In the second minute of added time, Messi delivered the cross, and Lautaro Martínez rose to power home the winning header. It was a classic centre-forward’s goal: assertive movement, strong positioning and a finish that gave England no opportunity to recover.
England lose control at the decisive moment
England’s best players were Gordon and Rogers, whose combination produced the opening goal and briefly exposed Argentina’s defence.
The defensive effort was also impressive for long spells. England restricted Messi’s influence and denied Argentina clear chances through much of the match.
The weakness came in their response to Argentina’s late pressure.
England dropped too deep, surrendered possession too quickly and lost the ability to carry the ball away from their own penalty area. Once Fernández equalised, the composure that had shaped much of their performance disappeared.
Tuchel’s late use of Dan Burn as an emergency forward illustrated England’s desperation after Martínez’s goal. By then, the contest had been transformed. Argentina were playing with belief; England were chasing a match they had controlled only minutes earlier.
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham were unable to shape the game as decisively as England would have hoped. Argentina limited their room in central areas, and England’s strongest attacks tended to come through Gordon and Rogers rather than their more established stars.
This was not a poor England performance. But it was an incomplete one.
They executed the difficult part — taking the lead and containing Argentina — but failed to manage the closing minutes.
Messi and Argentina find another route through
Argentina’s victory was another demonstration of their ability to remain alive in matches even when they are not playing at their best.
Messi did not dominate throughout, yet he helped orchestrate the late pressure and supplied the decisive cross. Fernández provided the technical quality for the equaliser, while Martínez delivered the penalty-area authority Argentina needed.
Their bench also made a greater impact than England’s. Argentina became quicker and more aggressive as the contest developed, while England gradually became more passive.
That difference decided the semi-final.
Argentina now have an opportunity to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to retain the men’s World Cup.
Spain v Argentina: what to expect from the final
Sunday’s final brings together two sides with contrasting strengths.
Spain will want to control possession, press immediately after losing the ball and force Argentina to defend for long periods. Porro’s forward movement, Olmo’s positioning and Oyarzabal’s intelligent runs could again be central.
Argentina will be comfortable without dominating possession. They have the players to absorb pressure, slow the rhythm and exploit the moments when Spain’s full-backs move forward.
The midfield contest could decide the match. Spain will attempt to move Argentina out of shape through quick combinations, while Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister and Rodrigo De Paul will try to disrupt that rhythm and release Messi before Spain’s defence can regroup.
Spain appear to be the more fluent side. Argentina may be the more battle-hardened.
One team reached the final by controlling almost every phase of its semi-final. The other reached it by refusing to accept defeat.
France and England meet for third place
Before the final, England and France will meet in the third-place play-off in Miami on Saturday 18 July.
Both managers must decide whether to retain their strongest line-ups or give opportunities to players who have featured less during the tournament.
For England, the challenge will be emotional as much as tactical. They were only minutes from the final and must recover quickly from a defeat that will feel avoidable.
France also have questions to answer. Their attacking talent failed to function against Spain, and Deschamps must find a way to restore confidence after one of their least convincing displays in the competition.
The third-place match begins at 11.00 pm Spanish time on Saturday. Spain and Argentina then contest the World Cup final at 9.00 pm on Sunday.