​Lautaro Martinez scored a 92nd minute winner as Lionel Messi inspired World Cup holders Argentina to a stunning comeback to beat England 2-1 and set up a final with European champions Spain.England had been on course to reach their first World Cup final since 1966 after Anthony Gordon fired them into the lead 10 minutes into the second half in the semifinal in front of 68,239 fans in Atlanta on Wednesday.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe great rivalry between these nations has produced several memorable contests on the World Cup stage down the years, however, and this will be remembered as the stuff of legends in Argentina as the South Americans denied England with two late sucker punches.Messi set up Enzo Fernandez to fire in an 85th-minute equaliser and then, with extra time looming, crossed for substitute Lautaro Martinez to head in the winner in the second minute of stoppage time.It was maybe not quite up there with Diego Maradona’s legendary display in putting England to the sword in 1986, but the goals this time brought Argentina back from the dead and kept alive their hopes of winning back-to-back World Cups.No team has retained the trophy since Brazil in 1962, and now Messi will become just the second player after Brazilian great Cafu to appear in three World Cup finals. Italy are the only other side to defend a World Cup crown.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe 2026 final will take place at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday in New Jersey, as the first 48-team World Cup boils down to a confrontation between the reigning champions of Europe and South America.Messi had waited until the age of 39 to get the chance to play against England, and now he will face Spain for the first time in a competitive game.His career appeared to be complete when he dragged Argentina to glory in 2022 in Qatar, but he is clearly not done yet.Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez celebrates with Lionel Messi [Agustin Marcarian/Reuters]England, though, will have huge regrets as they head to Miami to play France in Saturday’s third-place play-off, a game neither team will want to contest.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe prospect of a first World Cup final appearance since their sole triumph 60 years ago was a momentous one, and they were so close, but will live to regret sitting back after Gordon’s opener.The key men for Thomas Tuchel’s side during this campaign have been Jude Bellingham and captain Harry Kane, yet they failed to deliver on this occasion, and England’s players slumped to the turf at full time.Given the deep-rooted rivalry between these nations, this was always likely to be a game with an edge and there was a tangible feeling of tension in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.Argentina’s players were clearly fired up, partly by a determination to hold onto their World Cup crown but also by a sense of what this fixture means.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThat translated into a niggly contest pockmarked by fouls in the first