On this episode of The Underdog World Cup Show, Chris Horwedel recaps Argentina’s dramatic 2-1 comeback against England and looks ahead to the 2026 World Cup final between Lionel Messi’s defending champions and Spain.
The semifinal in Atlanta begins as a physical, cautious match, with 19 fouls, 2 yellow cards and no shots on target during the first half. England finally breaks through in the 55th minute when Declan Rice helps start a move that ends with Morgan Rogers crossing for Anthony Gordon to score his third goal of the tournament.
England appears to have the match under control, but its approach changes after taking the lead. Gordon, Reece James and Rice are replaced as Thomas Tuchel shifts toward a defensive setup. Harry Kane becomes isolated, Jude Bellingham struggles to receive the ball in attacking positions, and England records only 12% possession between Gordon’s goal and Argentina’s winner.
Messi repeatedly finds space on Argentina’s right side and eventually creates both goals. In the 85th minute, a quick corner leads to Enzo Fernández curling the equalizer beyond Jordan Pickford. Seven minutes later, Messi delivers a precise stoppage-time cross for Lautaro Martínez, whose header sends Argentina into a second consecutive World Cup final.
Chris explains why England’s tactical retreat will become the defining discussion surrounding another painful tournament exit. Kane and Bellingham entered with 6 goals apiece, but England stopped attacking before the match had truly entered its final survival stage. Tuchel later acknowledges that the team became too passive, leaving questions about whether the substitutions caused the collapse or simply failed to reverse it.
For Argentina, the victory continues a knockout run built more around resilience than dominance. Lionel Scaloni’s team required extra time in 3 earlier matches, recovered from a 2-goal deficit against Egypt, survived Switzerland and then escaped elimination against England. Argentina continues to stay emotionally connected to difficult matches while trusting Messi to create the decisive moment.
Messi now has 8 goals and 4 assists in the tournament, giving him the Golden Boot lead over Kylian Mbappé through the assist tiebreaker. He also has a World Cup-record 12 career assists and sits one win away from lifting a second consecutive trophy at age 39.
The episode also previews England’s third-place match against France. Motivation, lineup rotation and fatigue make the game difficult to project, but it could have a major impact on the Golden Boot race. Mbappé has 8 goals, while Kane, Bellingham and Ousmane Dembélé each have 6.
Attention then turns to Sunday’s final in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Spain enters having conceded only 1 goal in 7 matches after shutting out France, while Argentina has scored 19 goals and survived nearly every type of tournament challenge.
Chris breaks down the central tactical questions: whether Argentina can withstand long stretches without possession, how Rodri and Pedri will control midfield, whether Lamine Yamal can attack Argentina’s left side and how Messi can find space between Spain’s defensive lines. Mikel Oyarzabal’s scoring form and the Golden Ball race are also discussed, with the final likely to decide both the championship and the tournament’s biggest individual honor.
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