<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>England vs Argentina: Match Report Archives - Zee 5 Blog</title> <atom:link href="https://www.zee5.com/global/blog/tag/england-vs-argentina-match-report/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link></link> <description></description> <lastBuildDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:04:22 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1</generator> <image> <url>https://www.zee5.com/global/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/app_icon_512x512.jpg</url> <title>England vs Argentina: Match Report Archives - Zee 5 Blog</title> <link></link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height> </image> <item> <title>Lionel Messi: Player of the Match | Argentina 2-1 England</title> <link>https://www.zee5.com/global/blog/lionel-messi-player-of-the-match-argentina-2-1-england/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sourav K]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:04:22 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[FIFA World Cup 2026]]></category> <category><![CDATA[England vs Argentina: Match Report]]></category> <category><![CDATA[FIFA World cup 2026]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Finals]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Player of the Match]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Semi-Finals]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.zee5.com/global/blog/?p=17449</guid> <description><![CDATA[When the final whistle in Atlanta confirmed Argentina’s place in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final, the first person every camera found was Lionel Messi. Not celebrating wildly. Not sprinting. Just standing in the middle, taking it in — the way a man does when he knows exactly how valuable each moment is. He won […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="bsf_rt_marker"></div><p>When the final whistle in Atlanta confirmed Argentina’s place in the FIFA World Cup 2026<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Final, the first person every camera found was Lionel Messi. Not celebrating wildly. Not sprinting. Just standing in the middle, taking it in — the way a man does when he knows exactly how valuable each moment is. He won the Player of the Match award for the semi-final. Two assists. One historic record. And the kind of performance that reminded the world why, at 39, he is still the most dangerous player at this tournament.</p> <p> </p> <p><i>Watch Lionel Messi in the </i><a href="https://www.zee5.com/sports/football/fifa-world-cup/2026"><i>FIFA World Cup 2026<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /></i></a><i> Final live on ZEE 5 — </i><a href="https://www.zee5.com/myaccount/subscription?plan-ref=0-11-7467&asset-ref=0-6-4z5914493&visibility=SELECTED&context=FIFA"><i>ZEE5 FIFA Subscription </i></a><i> to the Quarterly Plan at ₹799 and don’t miss a moment.</i></p> <p> </p> <h2><b>The Record Nobody Expected to See Broken</b></h2> <p>By the time Messi took the field in Atlanta, he had already made history simply by being there. At 39 years and 21 days old, he became the oldest outfield player in FIFA World Cup<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> history to feature in a semi-final. It is the kind of record that sounds impossible until you realize it is Messi who holds it. The fitness alone is extraordinary. The fact that he then decided the match is something else entirely.</p> <p> </p> <h2><b>37th Minute — The Run That Defined the First Half</b></h2> <p>England’s plan to contain Messi was clear and disciplined: press him in numbers, deny space, foul him if necessary before he gains pace. For most of the first half, it worked. Then, in the 37th minute, it did not. Messi dropped into midfield, received the ball, and turned past his first marker in one movement. He accelerated. A second England defender arrived and was bypassed. Messi drove into central space, threatening the penalty area, and the danger was only ended when Elliot Anderson lunged into a hard, calculated tactical foul. Yellow card. A heated shoving match between both sets of players. And the confirmation, for anyone still uncertain, that England’s defensive block was not enough to hold Messi when he chose to move.</p> <p>That yellow card on Anderson would carry weight for the rest of the match — one booking away from a red, forced to be careful in every subsequent challenge. Messi, without kicking a shot in the first half, had already changed England’s defensive calculations.</p> <p> </p> <h2><b>85th Minute — The Equaliser</b></h2> <p>With <a href="https://www.zee5.com/sports/football/fifa-world-cup/2026/0-6-4z5974253/0-2-5z5974716/teams/argentina/argentina-squad">Argentina </a>trailing and time disappearing, Messi drifted to a short corner on the right. Calmly, unhurried, he rolled the pass to Enzo Fernández arriving on the edge of the box. Fernández hit it cleanly, precise and hard, and <a href="https://www.zee5.com/sports/football/fifa-world-cup/2026/0-6-4z5974253/0-2-5z5974716/teams/england/england-squad">England </a>were level. The assist was simple in its execution. The vision behind it — reading exactly where Fernández was arriving, playing the ball before England could close the angle — was not simple at all. It was the product of a player who has been seeing these moments before they happen for twenty years.</p> <p> </p> <h2><b>92nd Minute — The Winner</b></h2> <p>Two minutes into stoppage time, Alexis Mac Allister fired an effort that struck the post, nearly breaking the deadlock himself. Messi collected the rebound at the right flank under pressure, and delivered a cross to the back post — precise, weighted, timed for a run. Lautaro Martínez arrived and headed home. Argentina <a href="https://www.zee5.com/sports/football/fifa-world-cup/2026/match-clips/0-6-4z5974253/eng-vs-arg-quickfire-highlights-sem-final-fifa-world-cup-2026/0-1-6z51004236?utm_source=GoogleOneBox&utm_medium=GoogleSearch&utm_campaign=OneBox_quick_fire_highlight"><strong>2-1</strong></a>. A World Cup Final place, won in the second minute of stoppage time, from a Messi cross.</p> <p>Two assists. Both decisive. Both arriving when Argentina needed them most. It is the sentence that summaries this entire tournament for Messi. He has scored the most goals in the tournament. In the moments that determined whether Argentina would continue or go home, he made the decisive contribution.</p> <p> </p> <h2><b>Golden Boot: Messi Leads on Assists</b></h2> <p>Following the semi-final, Messi now leads the FIFA World Cup 2026<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Golden Boot race. He is tied on goals with France’s Kylian Mbappé — but the primary tiebreaker, total assists, puts Messi ahead. The Golden Boot will be decided in the Final, where Argentina face Spain.</p> <p> </p> <p><i>Watch Messi in the FIFA World Cup 2026<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Final — live on ZEE 5, India’s exclusive home of the World Cup.</i></p> <p> </p> <p><i>Disclaimer: Subscription pack prices are subject to change from time to time. Please visit the subscription page for the most up-to-date pricing information.</i></p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>FIFA World Cup 2026™ — 16 July : Argentina Do It Again, and the World Cup Final Is Set</title> <link>https://www.zee5.com/global/blog/fifa-world-cup-2026-16-july-argentina-do-it-again-and-the-world-cup-final-is-set/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sourav K]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:31:42 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[FIFA World Cup 2026]]></category> <category><![CDATA[England vs Argentina: Match Report]]></category> <category><![CDATA[FIFA World cup 2026]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Finals]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Semi-Finals Highlight]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Spain vs Argentina]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.zee5.com/global/blog/?p=17435</guid> <description><![CDATA[The semi-finals are done. We have our two finalists. Spain, who defeated France 2-0 in Dallas, are in. And Argentina — in the way only Argentina can — came from behind in the final minutes to eliminate England 2-1 at Atlanta Stadium and confirm the match the football world will now watch: Spain vs Argentina, […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="bsf_rt_marker"></div><p>The semi-finals are done. We have our two finalists. Spain, who defeated <a href="https://www.zee5.com/sports/football/fifa-world-cup/2026/0-6-4z5974253/0-2-5z5974716/teams/france/france-squad">France </a><a href="https://www.zee5.com/sports/football/fifa-world-cup/2026/match-clips/0-6-4z5974253/fra-vs-esp-quickfire-highlights-fifa-world-cup-2026/0-1-6z51004107?utm_source=GoogleOneBox&utm_medium=GoogleSearch&utm_campaign=OneBox_quick_fire_highlight"> 2-0</a> in Dallas, are in. And Argentina — in the way only Argentina can — came from behind in the final minutes to eliminate England 2-1 at Atlanta Stadium and confirm the match the football world will now watch: Spain vs Argentina, FIFA World Cup 2026<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Final.</p> <p> </p> <p><i>Watch the </i><a href="https://www.zee5.com/sports/football/fifa-world-cup/2026"><i>FIFA World Cup 2026<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /></i></a><i> Final live on ZEE 5 — </i><a href="https://www.zee5.com/myaccount/subscription?plan-ref=0-11-7467&asset-ref=0-6-4z5914493&visibility=SELECTED&context=FIFA"><i>ZEE5 FIFA Subscription</i></a><i> to the Quarterly Plan at ₹799, India’s exclusive home of the tournament.</i></p> <p> </p> <h2><b>Atlanta Stadium: </b><a href="https://www.zee5.com/sports/football/fifa-world-cup/2026/match-clips/0-6-4z5974253/eng-vs-arg-quickfire-highlights-sem-final-fifa-world-cup-2026/0-1-6z51004236?utm_source=GoogleOneBox&utm_medium=GoogleSearch&utm_campaign=OneBox_quick_fire_highlight"><b>Argentina 2-1 England</b></a></h2> <p><a href="https://www.zee5.com/sports/football/fifa-world-cup/2026/0-6-4z5974253/0-2-5z5974716/teams/england/england-squad">England </a>did everything right for an hour. They soaked up a ferocious first half — 19 fouls, two yellows, a Fernández curler that kissed the crossbar — and then scored first. In the 55th minute, Harry Kane dropped deep, Declan Rice kept the move alive, Morgan Rogers whipped a cross to the back post, and Anthony Gordon arrived his to put it past Emiliano Martínez. England 1-0. The plan was working.</p> <p>Tuchel’s side immediately retreated into a 4-4-2 defensive block and asked Argentina to break them down. For thirty minutes, <a href="https://www.zee5.com/sports/football/fifa-world-cup/2026/0-6-4z5974253/0-2-5z5974716/teams/argentina/argentina-squad">Argentina </a>could not. They pressed, shifted, probed, and found nothing. With five minutes left on the clock, England were still in front. The narrative of the match — disciplined, grinding, heroic — was already being written.</p> <p>Then Messi found Enzo Fernández outside the box. The finish was hard and perfect. 1-1. Two minutes into stoppage time, Messi’s cross found Lautaro Martínez free in front of the goal — a substitute, introduced in the second half. He put the ball in the net. Clinical, composed, and completely inevitable once the ball reached him. Argentina 2-1. The comeback was complete.</p> <p>It is what this Argentine side does. They were 0-2 down against Egypt and won. They were drawing in extra time against Switzerland, and Álvarez produced the goal of the tournament. And now they came from a goal behind against England in a World Cup semi-final.</p> <p>What a journey it has been for the defending champions. They have been pushed to the edge. But they have never stopped believing in themselves. Messi orchestrated the moment that mattered. In Atlanta, he assisted both goals. He has now produced something decisive in every elimination match Argentina have played in this tournament in what is almost certainly his last FIFA World Cup.</p> <p> </p> <h2><b>The Final: Spain vs Argentina</b></h2> <p><a href="https://www.zee5.com/sports/football/fifa-world-cup/2026/0-6-4z5974253/0-2-5z5974716/teams/spain/spain-squad">Spain </a>defeated France 2-0 on 15 July — a composed, clinical performance in which Rodri and Fabián Ruiz controlled midfield completely and Lamine Yamal drew the penalty that opened the scoring. Spain have not been outplayed once in this tournament. They are the Euro 2024 champions, the team with the least number of goals conceded in the FIFA World Cup 2026<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />, and the side that neutralised France — the tournament’s most feared attack — without breaking a sweat.</p> <p>Argentina are the defending world champions and the side that has come back from the brink in every single match of this knockout round. Between them, they represent the two dominant forces of this tournament. Spain’s system against Argentina’s individuals. De la Fuente’s tactical precision against Scaloni’s capacity to change the game from the bench. Yamal against Messi. Rodri and Ruiz against Mac Allister and Paredes.</p> <p>The FIFA World Cup 2026<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Final is here, and the two best teams in this tournament are in it. The rest of the world watches.</p> <p> </p> <p><i>Spain vs Argentina — the FIFA World Cup 2026<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Final is coming to ZEE 5. Don’t miss it. Stream live in India, only on ZEE 5.</i></p> <p> </p> <p><i>Disclaimer: Subscription pack prices are subject to change from time to time. Please visit the subscription page for the most up-to-date pricing information.</i></p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Argentina 2-1 England: Argentina Break English Hearts in Stoppage Time</title> <link>https://www.zee5.com/global/blog/argentina-2-1-england-argentina-break-english-hearts-in-stoppage-time/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sourav K]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:21:56 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[FIFA World Cup 2026]]></category> <category><![CDATA[England vs Argentina: Match Report]]></category> <category><![CDATA[FIFA World cup 2026]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Finals]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Semi-Finals]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.zee5.com/global/blog/?p=17432</guid> <description><![CDATA[England had a goal. England had a plan. For thirty-five minutes they executed it perfectly, sitting deep, defending in numbers, and daring Argentina to find a way through. Argentina found two. The defending champions are in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final. England are out. And the manner of their elimination — scored against twice […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="bsf_rt_marker"></div><p><a href="https://www.zee5.com/sports/football/fifa-world-cup/2026/0-6-4z5974253/0-2-5z5974716/teams/england/england-squad">England </a>had a goal. England had a plan. For thirty-five minutes they executed it perfectly, sitting deep, defending in numbers, and daring Argentina to find a way through. <a href="https://www.zee5.com/sports/football/fifa-world-cup/2026/0-6-4z5974253/0-2-5z5974716/teams/argentina/argentina-squad">Argentina </a>found two. The defending champions are in the FIFA World Cup 2026<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Final. England are out. And the manner of their elimination — scored against twice in the final seven minutes of normal time after leading — will haunt Thomas Tuchel’s squad for a long time.</p> <p> </p> <p><i>Watch Argentina in the </i><a href="https://www.zee5.com/sports/football/fifa-world-cup/2026"><i>FIFA World Cup 2026<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /></i></a><i> Final live on ZEE 5 — </i><a href="https://www.zee5.com/myaccount/subscription?plan-ref=0-11-7467&asset-ref=0-6-4z5914493&visibility=SELECTED&context=FIFA"><i>ZEE5 FIFA Subscription</i></a><i> to the Quarterly Plan at ₹799 and stream every remaining match in India.</i></p> <p> </p> <h2><b>A First Half Built on Tension</b></h2> <p>The opening 45 minutes produced physicality, tactical fouling, and neither side willing to open up. Both teams picked up bookings — Elliot Anderson on the England side, Lisandro Martínez for Argentina — as the referee allowed the match to be played at the edge of the rules. Enzo Fernández’s 25-yard curler in the 39th minute came closest to breaking the deadlock. At half-time, it was 0-0, with both sides intact and the match waiting to be decided.</p> <p> </p> <h2><b>55th Minute — Gordon Gives England the Lead</b></h2> <p>The breakthrough came ten minutes into the second half, and it was a fine team goal. Harry Kane dropped deep, pulling Argentina’s defensive line with him and creating space in behind. Declan Rice received and kept the move alive, finding Morgan Rogers in a pocket on the right. Rogers’ cross was precise — high pace, to the back post — and Anthony Gordon arrived at exactly the right moment to slide the finish past Emiliano Martínez. England 1-0 Argentina. Atlanta Stadium, at least half of it, erupted.</p> <p>Then Tuchel made his call. England dropped into a 4-4-2 defensive block and told Argentina to come and find them. It was the same approach that had worked against Mexico, against Norway — a compact shape, minimal risk, making the game ugly. Thirty-five minutes plus stoppage time. Protect the lead. Argentina had a World Cup Final to chase.</p> <p> </p> <h2><b>The Siege</b></h2> <p>What followed was relentless. Argentina pushed every available player forward, shifted the ball quickly from side to side, and looked for the crack in England’s defensive wall. Messi moved to wherever England were least comfortable, pulling Rice from his position, creating uncertainty between the lines. England’s block held. With five minutes of normal time remaining, it still held.</p> <p> </p> <h2><b>85th Minute — Fernández Equalises</b></h2> <p>Messi received the ball, turned, and found Enzo Fernández with a short pass that arrived perfectly weighted on the edge of the box. Fernández needed one touch to set and one to shoot. The finish was curling, driven and accurate — exactly the technique he had threatened with in the first half. It beat Pickford at his right post. 1-1. In the matter of a few seconds, England’s entire second half had been undone. Atlanta Stadium was deafening.</p> <p> </p> <h2><b>90+2′ — Lautaro Wins It</b></h2> <p>Two minutes into stoppage time. Lautaro Martínez, introduced from the bench in the second half, sealed the win for Argentina. Alexis Mac Allister had hit the post for the second time in the match. Messi found the deflected ball and crossed it with his right foot. Lautaro Martínez got the ball near the far post between Stones and Konasa without any contest and made good contact with his header. The ball was in the net, and Argentina had won a FIFA World Cup 2026<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> semi-final in the second minute of stoppage time.</p> <p>It is what Argentina do. They did it against Egypt, against Cape Verde, against Switzerland. They fall behind or stall, and then they find Messi in the space that matters most, and then someone scores. This time it was in a World Cup semi-final against England. The pattern, once more, held.</p> <p> </p> <h2><b>Full Time</b></h2> <p><a href="https://www.zee5.com/sports/football/fifa-world-cup/2026/match-clips/0-6-4z5974253/eng-vs-arg-quickfire-highlights-sem-final-fifa-world-cup-2026/0-1-6z51004236?utm_source=GoogleOneBox&utm_medium=GoogleSearch&utm_campaign=OneBox_quick_fire_highlight"><strong>Argentina 2-1 England</strong></a>. The defending champions go to the FIFA World Cup 2026<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Final. England, who led for 30 minutes before falling back, are out. Gordon’s goal will be remembered. The defensive block that planned to absorb Argentine pressure for 35 minutes will be debated longer. Bellingham, despite his brilliance throughout the tournament, could not produce the decisive moment when England needed it most.</p> <p>Argentina will play against Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> final. The comeback kings of this tournament, one more time, found a way through.</p> <p> </p> <p><i>Argentina are in the FIFA World Cup 2026<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Final — watch all the action live on ZEE 5, India’s exclusive home of the World Cup.</i></p> <p> </p> <p><i>Disclaimer: Subscription pack prices are subject to change from time to time. Please visit the subscription page for the most up-to-date pricing information.</i></p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel> </rss>