Man City 2026 World Cup Watch: Lionel Messi and Argentina break England hearts with stunning late semi-final comeback

Guehi and Anderson can’t prevent Tuchel’s men falling to stoppage-time sucker punch

City players World Cup ends in Atlanta heartbreak, with Spain final now Argentina’s to lose

England’s long wait for a first World Cup final since 1966 goes on after Lionel Messi inspired yet another late Argentina fightback. This time it happened at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The South Americans are through to Sunday’s showpiece against Spain.

Thomas Tuchel’s side had done almost everything right. For long periods they were the sharper, more purposeful team, and looked destined for the final when Anthony Gordon converted Morgan Rogers’ cross just after the hour.

But Argentina, seemingly incapable of accepting defeat this tournament, found a way back through Enzo Fernández’s thumping strike five minutes from time. Moment later, Messi teed up Lautaro Martínez to head home deep into stoppage time and complete the turnaround.

For the Manchester City players involved, it was a night of contrasting fortunes and, ultimately, a shared and painful conclusion.

Anderson’s bright start undone costly caution

Elliot Anderson, deployed in England’s midfield, was arguably his side’s most vibrant performer in the opening 45 minutes. He pressed high and drove the Three Lions forward with the kind of relentless energy that has become his trademark since establishing himself as a regular for club and country.

But his afternoon took a turn on 37 minutes when he was booked for a reckless challenge, a moment of rashness that would have consequences.

With the yellow card hanging over him, the City’s man was a spectator for the closing stages, unable to influence a game that swung so dramatically in Argentina’s favour.

His night ended having completed 43 of 53 passes and made eight defensive contributions, solid if unspectacular figures that reflect a performance cut short just as the contest reached its most critical juncture.

Nico O’Reilly, introduced late in place of Declan Rice, fared little better in terms of impact, managing just eight minutes on the pitch before the final whistle brought England’s tournament to a close.

There was barely time for the youngster to get a foothold in the game before Messi’s intervention rendered the changes irrelevant.

Guehi’s imperious display could not prevent the sting in the tail

If there was a shred of consolation for City supporters, it came from Marc Guehi, who produced arguably the standout defensive display of the semi-final.

The centre-back was composed and commanding throughout, completing 54 of 55 passes, and looked every inch the player capable of anchoring England’s back line in a World Cup final.

His reading of the game repeatedly snuffed out Argentine threats before they could develop, and for long stretches it appeared his influence might prove decisive in the right sense.

But even Guehi’s excellence could not immunise England against Argentina’s late-tournament habit of finding a way.

Fernández’s strike from distance was one few defenders could have done anything about, and the time Messi picked out Martínez in the box, England’s resistance had finally cracked.

James Trafford, meanwhile, was an unused substitute, with Jordan Pickford preferred in goal throughout England’s run to the last four.

The Burnley-bound goalkeeper will now return to pre-season with Manchester City having watched the entire tournament unfold from the bench, his World Cup experience limited to that of an onlooker rather than a participant.

A cruel end to a promising run

For England, the manner of the defeat will sting more than most. Tuchel’s side had shown genuine signs of progress throughout the tournament.

Therefore, to lead with half an hour remaining only to be undone two moments of Argentine brilliance in the final ten minutes will be a bitter pill.

Questions will inevitably follow about game management and how a lead built so patiently was allowed to slip away so late.

For Messi, it is another chapter in a World Cup legacy that shows no sign of fading. Two assists on the night, at an age when most of his contemporaries have long retired from international football, underline why Argentina remain a team nobody wants to face when the stakes are highest.