England had one foot in the 2026 World Cup final, but a late onslaught from Argentina sent Thomas Tuchel’s men crashing out of the competition at the death.
The Three Lions held the defending world champions quiet for 85 minutes in Atlanta, dreaming of playing in their second even men’s World Cup final, and their first in 60 years. A goal from Anthony Gordon in the 55th minute was the only thing separating the two sides until Argentina woke up.
A brilliant equalizer from Enzo Fernández was the first blow to England’s dream, and then a clinical header from Lautaro Martínez, who was surrounded by defenders, killed it completely. Another chance for a major trophy ended in heartbreak, and there’s plenty of blame to go around.
The 2–1 defeat will haunt Tuchel most of all, with the manager’s decisions in the late stages costing his side a date with Spain at MetLife Stadium.
England’s Conservative Strategy Threw Away the Game
The Three Lions were living in dreamland for about 70 minutes. England was up 1–0, and had virtually silenced every push from Argentina. The space was there to pounce in transition and potentially bag an insurance goal, or at the very least disrupt the opponents.
Instead, Tuchel decided to play like he was down a man at the Azteca. The German boss took out Gordon, one of the only players consistently testing La Albiceleste’s backline, to put in center back Ezri Konsa. Suddenly, he had his side playing in a back five, completely parked inside its own half with over 20 minutes left.
Maybe that works against Mexico or any other inferior team, but it certainly was never going to be enough against the defending world champion. England completely gave up trying to attack or even possess the ball, praying its compact, desperate defense would get the job done.
Except the Europeans forgot they were going against Lionel Messi. The additions of Nico O’Reilly and Dan Burn only made England more discombobulated, like Tuchel was just throwing players out there with a hope and a prayer.
It felt like only a matter of time before Argentina got on the scoresheet—and they did it twice. Suddenly, England had to push forward, but it was already too late.
Jude Bellingham Goes Quiet—And So Did England
England came into the semifinals with 13 goals scored in this summer’s World Cup, and 12 came from Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. The two superstars have carried the team’s attacking exploits, playing hero time and time again to drag the Three Lions over the finish line against DR Congo, Mexico and Norway.
Although Kane did not get on the scoresheet against Argentina, he still started the action that led to his side’s only goal on the night. Bellingham, though, was effectively silenced in the semifinals.
The Real Madrid midfielder was a target of Argentina’s physicality all game long, taking a beating nearly every time he was on the ball. Bellingham was forced to operate without much space, hindering his ability to produce a dangerous through ball or really, any ball.
It didn’t help matters that so much of England’s attack came down the flanks, bypassing Bellingham through the middle. There was also such little service into the box that the 23-year-old’s trademark runs were not a threat.
Without Bellingham at his best and Kane seeing so little of the ball, England needed other stars to step up in the attack. Morgan Rogers and Gordon answered the call, but Tuchel did not give others the same opportunity.
Tuchel’s Experiment Reaps Rewards And Then Backfires
Tuchel turned heads when he started Rogers on the right wing, overlooking Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke. The latter two players took turns starting all tournament long, but in the biggest game of the summer, they were left on the bench for a player without a goal contribution to his name at the 2026 World Cup.
It was a shaky start for Rogers, who struggled to get much of anything going in the opening 45 minutes. He hardly saw the ball, often just watching as all of England’s danger came down the opposite flank.
He no doubt would have been one of the first players off the pitch for Tuchel had the game remained scoreless, but the Aston Villa man picked out his moment—and his teammate—to give England the lead in the 55th minute. Rogers sent in a delicious cross to find Gordon, who finished off a move started by Kane inside his own half.
Rogers might have expected to play a larger role this summer than the one he ultimately got, but the 23-year-old stayed patient and took advantage of the one start he was given. Questions will be asked, though, why Tuchel opted to keep Rogers in for the full 90 minutes while Gordon made way.
Once it became clear England needed a second goal, Rogers never looked a threat to score or create. He ended the game with just one blocked shot and only 25 touches. Saka and Madueke, meanwhile, did not play a single second, and Marcus Rashford only came on in the 96th minute.
Djed Spence Rises to the Occasion
The last time Djed Spence started for England was in the round of 32, when he filled in at right back for the injured Reece James and Jarell Quansah. Two weeks later, the Spurs fullback once again got the nod, but this time, he was back to his preferred left flank.
On paper, Spence going against Messi spelled disaster for the Three Lions. Giuliano Simeone, who enjoyed torching Real Madrid and Barcelona fullbacks all season long, also provided a measurable threat despite his lack of minutes this summer.
Yet Spence held his own against the two players, using his blistering pace to snuff out any promising developments down his flank. Even when he was drastically out of position in the 57th minute, he had the speed to race back and close down a streaking Simeone, committing a brilliant tackle inside his own 18-yard-box to disposes the Argentine.
The only reason Messi got enough space to send in the game-winning cross was because the fullback appeared to injure himself just seconds before. The heartbreaking moment does not take away from the overall effort Spence put in on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old also deserves credit for his contributions going forward. In a game where chances were hard to come by, many of England’s best looks came down the left. Spence linked up well with Anthony Gordon, leaving Nahuel Molina chasing down two white shirts with little success. He delivered decent service into the box as well, though there never seemed to be a teammate in a position to get on the end of his crosses.
