​Sixty years. That’s how long England has been waiting for its World Cup victory drought to finally run its course. Heck, England, believed to be the birthplace of soccer, the most popular game of the planet, and home to the best professional league on the globe, hasn’t even been to a World Cup final since 1966, when Geoff Hurst scored a hat trick, at Wembley against West Germany, in a victory that expected to surely usher in a glorious era for soccer royalty.No more trophies came England’s way. But on Wednesday afternoon in Atlanta, England was a mere five minutes away, plus stoppage time, from going back to the final for the first time in six decades, and coming one precious step closer from exorcizing all its World Cup demons.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFive minutes plus stoppage time. Scant time—but enough, it turned out, for the defending champs, and the game’s greatest ever player, Lionel Messi, who with this World Cup performance, at 39, has officially ended all debate on that GOAT matter, to crush England’s soul once again.Argentina is moving on to face Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday at New York New Jersey Stadium, after beating England 2-1 in a thrilling semifinal in Atlanta. If the Spain-Argentina final offers half the combination of drama, stellar play, and heartbreak that Wednesday’s semifinal provided, the 2026 World Cup, which is already setting all kinds of attendance and viewership records, will go out on a proper high note.England finally broke through a scoreless draw in the 55th minute, when Anthony Gordon’s difficult finish of a Morgan Rogers cross gave England the 1-0 lead. Gordon, a Barcelona winger, became a true household name in the Round of 16, when Mexico coach Javier Aguirre jokingly told him “f— you” in front of worldwide TV cameras. He’d now be known for so much more, if England could just hold on.The Three Lions were content to stay back on their heels, and load all their players in a defensive posture to stop Argentina from tying up the game.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThere’s an argument to be made—in soccer, football, basketball, and many other games—to keep attacking, even when you have an advantage. If an aggressive style got you the lead, why stop? Go with what got you there.But England went into a prevent defense, a strategy from England manager Thomas Tuchel, a German, that will be picked apart by the English press, and in pubs, for the next hundred, two hundred years.For Argentina kept knocking on the door. One attempt hit the post. The defending champs controlled possession for the latter part of regulation. But England could still taste survival. Until the 85th minute, when Messi, off a short corner kick,  attracted three defenders while dribbling in. Messi spotted teammate Enzo Fernández, open, near the top of the box. Fernández took the Messi pass and rocketed a long-distance angular beauty into the net to tie the game.All wasn’t yet lost f