“With A Knife Between Our Teeth “- Dibu Martinez On How Argentina Played The Semi Final .
Argentina 2-1 England | World Cup Semi-Final
Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Argentina through to the Final vs Spain
Argentina came from behind to beat England 2-1 and storm into the FIFA World Cup final.
‘The Three Lions’ struck first. In the 55th minute, a brilliant cross from Reece James was tapped in to give England the lead.
Argentina responded immediately. Just minutes later they were all over the pitch, pressing for an equalizer.
In the 68th minute, Messi swung in a perfect cross and Argentina’s forward met it with a header — saved by Pickford.
In the 75th, another cross from De Paul found Mac Allister, but his header rattled the post.
The breakthrough came in the 85th. A quick short corner to Messi, who found Enzo Fernández on the edge of the box. He struck it to perfection into the far left corner to level it at 1-1.
Argentina kept pushing. In the 91st minute, Mac Allister rattled the post for the second time.
One minute later, Messi delivered again — a beautiful cross to 81st-minute substitute Lautaro Martínez, who headed it into the back of the net.
Scaloni’s tactics paid off.
Final: Argentina 2-1 England
Argentina now face Spain in the final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
England will face France in the third-place playoff.
Stat: England have been knocked out every time they’ve faced a FIFA top-10 nation in the World Cup knockout stages since 1998.
Stat: Argentina have played five finals since 2021:
Copa América 2021, Finalissima 2022, World Cup 2022, Copa América 2024, World Cup 2026 Finalists.
Reactions
Lautaro Martínez:
“I am very happy and very excited about the victory and about the goal. I thought about my family, about my children. About my parents who were always there for me in the tough moments.”
“I always dreamed of scoring this goal, ever since my dad bought me a pair of boots.”
“I enjoy all of this. I enjoy life. My children made me take it down a notch. I swear to you I dreamed about it.”
“Enzo scored an absolute screamer too. This team keeps showing what it’s made of.”
Lionel Scaloni:
“We’re going to try to win, we’re going to give everything. But this is already incredible. We are unique and it’s not arrogance. It’s heart.”
Emiliano Martínez:
“Getting back to a World Cup final is something to be proud of for the whole country.”
“We played it like a semifinal, with a knife between our teeth. We knew it was a special match for the people. Now all that’s left is to enjoy it.”
Leo Messi:
“We know the World Cup is something special for us, it helps us forget, even for a while, all the hardships one goes through. There are people without jobs, people who struggle to make it to the end of the month. We’re proud and happy to be able to give this joy to the people.”
“To the fans, I say the same thing I said in Qatar: enjoy it. This team will never let you down.”
“I’ve been preparing for this World Cup for almost a year. I spent December in Argentina, training morning and afternoon, because I knew I was going to give everything.”
“It’s crazy what this group has been doing: five finals. We’ve been the best team over the last four years, and nobody gave us anything. We earned every bit of it.”
“Spain is a great team with outstanding players and a very distinctive style. It will be a special match because it’s a World Cup final, and I expect it to be a very even game.”
“I’m sure Diego is enjoying this so much from up above. This is a gift for him too.”
Giuliano Simeone:
“Honestly, this touches me deeply… Leo, he is 39 and he’s achieved everything any player could dream of, yet he still competes at the highest level. For that reason, all that’s left for us is to give everything we’ve got for him.”
Alexis Mac Allister:
“Football is becoming more and more physical. That’s why it’s important that two teams who play good football have reached the final.”
Cristian ‘Cuti’ Romero:
“Licha and I were fired up before the game because of Gary Neville’s comments. In England, they love talking before the games. I hope when I retire, I’m not as stupid as him. I won’t criticize players.”
Jude Bellingham:
“Playing against Leo Messi is incredible. The World Cup he is having is amazing. I wish him good luck in the final.”
Harry Kane:
“Just gutted for the boys, the staff, the fans. We played a good game for large parts — went 1-0 up but at this level that’s not enough. The lads have given blood, sweat and tears.”
“Last World Cup for me? Seeing Messi playing at 39 years old makes me not think about that. Messi is the best player in history. Every time the ball reached him he came back to life.”
Cuti Romero
_”What a proud feeling to be part of this group @Argentina
Now we have one last step left. We’re going to leave our soul out there one more time for our people and for this shirt that we love so much.
Let’s go, Argentina! 🇦🇷💙 All together, always.”