Just when you thought Argentina couldn’t find a higher gear this World Cup—just when it seemed like forward Lionel Messi’s side was headed home with merely amazing wins over Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland—the team did the impossible.
Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, the Argentines scored twice in eight minutes late to ensure England would have to wait at least four more years for its first men’s World Cup title since 1966.
Messi, who seems intent on besting his dazzling 2022 feats, played an active role in Argentina’s pair of goals—finding striker Lautaro Martínez for an assist in the second minute of stoppage time to lock down the victory.
While the world awaits Spain and the Argentines’ showdown in the final, here’s a look back at the best semifinal photos from Erick W. Rasco of SI.
A chippy start gives way to a 1–0 England lead courtesy of winger Anthony Gordon
Pressure from Argentina leads to an equalizer in the 85th
Argentina scores again in stoppage time, sending Atlanta Stadium into pandemonium
On to New York and New Jersey for Argentina, eyeing the first men’s World Cup repeat in generations
