​England were minutes from reaching their first World Cup final since 1966 before Argentina struck twice in the final five minutes to win 2-1 in a dramatic semifinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.Anthony Gordon gave England the lead in the 55th minute, but Enzo Fernandez equalized with a stunning strike from outside the box in the 85th before substitute Lautaro Martinez headed the winner in the second minute of stoppage time.Lionel Messi, who assisted both Argentina goals, became the oldest outfield player to appear in a World Cup semifinal at 39 years and 21 days.England were five minutes from a World Cup final. They had done the hard part, weathering an increasingly desperate Argentina onslaught with Jordan Pickford performing heroics behind a backline that was bending but refusing to break. Then, in the space of seven devastating minutes, it was all taken away.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEnzo Fernandez unleashed a magnificent shot from 20 yards that flew past Pickford to his right in the 85th minute, and Lautaro Martinez headed home Lionel Messi’s cross at the far post in the second minute of stoppage time to send the holders into a seventh World Cup final and condemn England to another agonizing near miss.It was a revival of one of international football’s great rivalries, and it ended with a repeat of the scoreline from the teams’ most famous encounter in Mexico City 40 years ago. The atmosphere inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium was raucous from before kickoff, with both sets of fans trying to drown out the other team’s national anthem, and the first half matched that intensity on the pitch. It was cagey, feisty and repeatedly broken up by fouls.Neither side produced an attempt on goal until the 33rd minute, when John Stones nodded wide from a Declan Rice free kick at the far post. At the other end, Fernandez flashed a fierce shot over the crossbar. The first 45 minutes ended goalless and without a single clear-cut chance.The match opened up after the break. Julian Alvarez got beyond Djed Spence following a long ball forward and drew a smart save from Pickford at his near post, offering the first real warning of what was to come. But the breakthrough belonged to England. Morgan Rogers, one of three players reinstated to Thomas Tuchel’s starting lineup, delivered a terrific low cross from the right. Anthony Gordon, arriving at the back post, got in front of Nahuel Molina and steered an excellent controlled finish into the corner of Emiliano Martinez’s goal to make it 1-0 in the 55th minute.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhat followed was a slow, painful retreat. England sat deeper and deeper as Argentina, with their grip on the World Cup loosening, poured forward in search of an equalizer. Spence made a brilliant goalsaving tackle to deny Giuliano Simeone. Substitute Nico Gonzalez saw his header foiled by a world-class Pickford save in the 69th minute after connecting with a pinpoint Messi cross. Alexis Mac Alli