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Argentina face the prospect of disciplinary action from Fifa after their players celebrated the World Cup semi-final win against England with a banner in support of their country's claims to the Falkland Islands.The defending world champions produced a dramatic late comeback in Atlanta, scoring twice to defeat Thomas Tuchel's side 2-1 and book a showdown with Spain in Sunday's final.After the final whistle, Argentina players celebrated while holding a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas", which translates as "The Falklands are Argentine".The Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean, remain the subject of a sovereignty dispute between Britain and Argentina.The two nations went to war over the group of islands, situated 300 miles off Argentina's east coast, from April to June 1982.The 74-day conflict led to the deaths of 655 Argentine and 255 British servicemen. Three people from the islands also died.In 2014, Fifa fined the Argentine Football Association £20,000 after its players held up a banner with the same message before a friendly against Slovenia.World football's governing body said the gesture had breached rules on political action and team misconduct.After Wednesday's victory, Argentina vice-president Victoria Villarruel posted on X, external, writing "it wasn't just another match" alongside a video of what appeared to be Argentine soldiers."The Falklands are Argentine," Villarruel posted. "They banned bringing them to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and our hearts."In the build-up to the game, Villarruel had said the semi-final was "about putting the invaders in their place".Argentina players also sang chants which referenced the Falklands and Argentina greats Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi following their dramatic 3-2 win over Egypt in the last 16.However, before the semi-final, manager Lionel Scaloni had said he was "not going to mix" football and politics."The reality is that this is a football match. I can't mix things up, especially out of respect for what happened so many years ago," Scaloni had said."It was a very sad period in our history, and there isn't much we can do about it, that's the reality."Things are happening elsewhere in the world, and we criticise the existence of war. We certainly remember those people, of course. But it is a football match - we shouldn't confuse the two."The semi-final, which England lost to late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez, was held under increased security measures because of the historical tensions between the two nations.'The change didn't work' - England player ratingsWhen the World Cup finishes, the football continues on BBC SportFinal two World Cup matches to be shown live on BBC

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Close2293England manager Thomas Tuchel believes his team "got too passive" after scoring first in the World Cup semi-final against Argentina, which they lost 2-1 at Atlanta Stadium.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsArgentinaFollow Argentinaclose panelYou are now following ArgentinaUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Teamclose panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026

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Close1611England captain Harry Kane gives his analysis on their defeat against Argentina in the 2026 World Cup semi-final at Atlanta Stadium.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsArgentinaFollow Argentinaclose panelYou are now following ArgentinaUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Teamclose panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026

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Close599Argentina shatter England's World Cup dreams, scoring two late goals to come from behind and knock out Thomas Tuchel's side in a dramatic semi-final in Atlanta.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsEngland Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Teamclose panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.ArgentinaFollow Argentinaclose panelYou are now following ArgentinaUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Football

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Banner refers to Falkland Islands conflict in 1982Players celebrate on the pitch with the messageThe Argentina players celebrated their World Cup win over England with a banner saying “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, making reference to the 1982 Falklands war.Argentina were 1-0 down with five minutes to go of the semi-final in Atlanta but rallied and scored twice in quick succession to reach a second straight World Cup final, where they will face Spain in New Jersey on Sunday.The banner refers to the dispute over the territory, which is referred to as the Falkland Islands in Britain and Islas Malvinas in Argentina, which led to a 74-day conflict 44 years ago. More than 900 people – 649 Argentinians and 255 Britons – lost their lives in the conflict.Lisandro Martínez and Giovani Lo Celso held up the banner, grinning, and waved to fans in the stands. It was unclear where the banner had come from.It is ​not the first ​time the question of ​political banners has come up ­during the World Cup. ​Last month ‌in Los Angeles, ​Iranian Americans ​waved pre-revolutionary flags that are symbols of protest against the Tehran government when Iran played. Those matches proceeded without incident.After beating Switzerland in the quarter-final to set up a meeting against England, some Argentina players could be heard chanting: “For the Malvinas, for Diego [Maradona] and for Leo [Messi]’s last one.”The Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul said: “We understand it’s a football game that transcends; it brings back memories of what Diego did. We sing songs about our Malvinas heroes, mainly to remember them, but we have to understand that it’s a football match and that the Malvinas have to be discussed elsewhere. What happened was an atrocity and we always remember the fallen, but what we want is to win this match to get to the final.”Fifa’s stadium code of conduct bans “banners, flags, flyers, apparel and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature” inside stadiums. Fifa did not immediately reply to a request for comment.Argentina’s security minister, Alejandra Monteoliva, said on Tuesday that ‌enhanced security had been discussed at a meeting in the US on Monday. “There will be 1,600 officers. We want the celebration to be peaceful,” she told local radio in Argentina. “The entry of elements that have any type of provocative message, whether of political or racial content, is prohibited.”

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England missed out on their first World Cup final since 1966 after a stunning late turnaround from rivals Argentina saw the holders earn a 2-1 victory thanks to Lautaro Martinez’s stoppage-time winner.The Three Lions were leading 1-0 with five minutes of normal time remaining in Atlanta through Anthony Gordon's early second-half opener.But two goals in the space of seven minutes saw a remarkable comeback from Argentina as Enzo Fernandez levelled with a wonderful 85th-minute strike from distance before substitute Martinez headed in a 92nd-minute winner.Argentina's turnaround came after England boss Thomas Tuchel made a number of defensive substitutions as England looked to hold on to their lead.But following the changes, Argentina took firm control of the game and deservedly came back, with Lionel Messi playing a huge influence as he assisted Martinez's winner.Lionel Scaloni's side will now face Spain in Sunday's final in New Jersey, while England will take on France in the third-place play-off on Saturday in Miami."It feels overridingly that Tuchel got that wrong. The man who the FA employed because of his brilliant tactical nous in knockout games has to hold his hands up."England scored and had the upper hand, and Tuchel immediately shifted to try to hold what they had."Sitting deep for more than half an hour with stoppage time to go shifted all the momentum to Argentina. There were warning signs aplenty before they scored the equaliser, and more before the winner. Argentina could have scored more, hitting the post twice in a mad last quarter of the game."England can have no complaints. The better side won. But there's an awful feeling that this was to a large degree self-inflicted."3: FLASHPOINT! Fernandez catches Anderson, which leads to both sets of players pushing and shoving.33: FIRST SHOT! Stones heads wide from Rice's free-kick for the first attempt of the game.HALF TIME! Nineteen fouls, two yellow cards and no shots on target.47: FIRST SHOT ON TARGET! Alvarez tests Pickford at his near post.55: GOAL! England take the lead through Gordon's back-post finish from Rogers' superb cross.69: PICKFORD SAVES! Pickford gets down to one-handedly push away Nico Gonzalez's flicked header from Messi's cross.76: ARGENTINA HIT THE POST! Mac Allister heads De Paul's brilliant cross onto the post with Pickford rooted to the spot.85: GOAL! Fernandez fires in a stunning leveller from distance after huge Argentina pressure.90+2: GOAL! Argentina complete the turnaround as Lautaro Martinez heads in.LV: "Another manager went ultra conservative way too soon, and we were punished for it. Same as the Croatia game, same as the Italy game."Tyler: "Well done, Thomas. You gave the game to Argentina with your awful tactics. Allowed Messi and co to play in England's half. Really poor from the manager."James Wilson: "Exactly how we are under Southgate, nothing has changed. Score first and sit back and invite the pressure, it hasn't worked for the last decade. Why did Tuchel think it would work tonight?"Dancuzo: "Tuchel is the reason we are out. Poor decision-making after going 1-0 up, such negative play; couldn't believe a 'top' coach would have that mentality. Pathetic. Haven't played well in any game this World Cup. Blagged our way to the semis."Craigyboy79: "Thomas Tuchel lost that game for England - playing with six defenders to try and see the game out with over 30 mins to play is the worst game management I've seen. Terrible, terrible decisions."Jacob Sharratt: "Tuchel should be ashamed of himself. How can we be on the front foot for 70 minutes to sit back with six defenders!"Neil B: "We were in control. They could not handle our pressing. Then we scored and we stopped. This is on Tuchel."Dan Staples: "Arguably the worst tactical decision made from a 1-0 lead I have ever seen. Lost momentum completely, allowed them to hammer our back line. Just woeful tactics from Tuchel. Trusted him up until this point."

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England are out of the World Cup after losing their semi-final 2-1 to Argentina in Atlanta. Here are the England player ratings on a disappointing night for the Three Lions...Made some crucial saves in the second half as England looked to hold onto their lead, but he could not do anything about Enzo Fernandez's late strike from distance and Lautaro Martinez's winning header.Another of Thomas Tuchel's changes and James was solid in his defensive duties. He didn't have the opportunity to get forward too much and show what he can do with his delivery, but it was an assured display. Eventually replaced on 82 minutes as he had no more to give to the cause.A really battling performance from the former Man City defender, who hasn't had much football at all this season. Eventually, with the rest of his defensive colleagues, they buckled under Argentina's pressure as Tuchel's defensive tactics backfired.Another brave defensive performance but Argentina's pressure proved too much for Guehi and his team-mates.A surprise inclusion from Tuchel but Spence was superb. It was a selection that paid dividends and his tackle to stop Giuliano Simeone from getting a shot away early in the second half was one of the moments of the match.Tasked with sticking close to Lionel Messi and he did his job superbly, especially after picking up a first-half booking. He was heavily involved in what was a heated midfield battle and more than held his own against some world-class Argentina midfield operators.World Cup 2026 fixture schedule - your day-by-day guideThe Arsenal midfielder is still not at his marauding best. Still, he put in a lot of the hard yards after taking his place in the starting XI after recovering from illness. His set-piece delivery was better than against Norway but not the tournament Rice would have hoped for after winning the Premier League with Arsenal.Handed the chance to start on the right flank and after a first half with not much space out on the pitch, he delivered the cross for Gordon's goal. However, he faded badly as England's defensive tactics kicked in as they failed to defend their lead.Targeted by Argentina and he failed to have the impact we have seen from him throughout the tournament.Not the easiest of games for the forward players but he was in the right place at the right time to convert Rogers' cross for England's goal. Replaced after England went defensive to try and protect the lead.No impact in the game whatsoever from the England captain. Ploughed a real lone furrow, especially with England trying to defend a lead. Provided no outlet when England needed it.On for Gordon in the 73rd minute as England looked to see out the game. Lacked quality in attack and with his delivery as England chased a late equaliser.On for James in the 82nd minute. The change did not work this time as he had no impact in either box.

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Close20Defending champions Argentina celebrate at full time, after beating England 2-1 to make it through to their second successive World Cup final.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsArgentinaFollow Argentinaclose panelYou are now following ArgentinaUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Teamclose panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026

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Lionel Messi was at his effervescent best while Harry Kane struggled to make an impactJordan Pickford Had little chance with either goal. Pulled off a sensational save from González but that will be forgotten now. 7Reece James Dominated his flank and fully justified being brought back into the side after injury. 7John Stones A rock at the back until the last 10 minutes when his lack of game time caught up with him. 7Marc Guéhi Mr Reliable in England’s defence didn’t put a foot wrong again and was unlucky to be on losing side. 7Djed Spence Has won over the doubters and then some. A Bobby Moore-esque tackle to stop Simeone. 8Elliot Anderson Another all-action display. Booked for taking out Messi brutally but belongs at this level. 7Declan Rice Looked far more his usual self. But had to be taken off as England tried to protect their lead. 6Morgan Rogers Preferred in unusual role on right flank and showed why, by setting up Gordon brilliantly. 7Jude Bellingham Fired up from the start, came close to losing his rag in injury time – couldn’t save England this time. 6Anthony Gordon Has come of age at this tournament. Will never forget scoring in a World Cup semi-final. 8Harry Kane It was from his long pass that England scored. But he will be hugely disappointed not to have had more of an impact. 5Substitutes: Ezri Konsa (for Gordon, 72) Slotted into back three but at fault for Martinez’s equaliser, 5. Dan Burn (for James 83) Third time unlucky after his cameos against Mexico and Norway, 5. Nico O’Reilly (for Rice 83) Could not prevent Messi’s cross for the winning goal. Ivan Toney (for Stones 90+3) Far too late to make an impact, 6. Marcus Rashford (for Spence 90+3) Tried his best to drag England level, 6.Emiliano Martínez No chance with Gordon’s goal but was largely a spectator for the rest of the match. 6Nahuel Molina Struggled to contain Spence’s and Gordon’s strong combination play down England’s left flank. 6Cristian Romero Squared up to Bellingham inside the first minute and showed some nifty footwork to get himself out of trouble. 8Lisandro Martínez Walked the tightrope after being booked in the first half so was no surprise to see him taken off. 7Nicolas Tagliafico Had his hands full with Rogers and it was from his error that Gordon was able to score. 5Leandro Paredes Early reducer on Anderson set the tone, but he could not exert his usual dominance in midfield. 5Enzo Fernández Inches away from an amazing goal in the first half before breaking England’s hearts with a stunning equaliser. 8Alexis Mac Allister So unlucky not to score after hitting both posts. The Liverpool man was back to his best. 8Giuliani Simeone Like father, like son. Always in the thick of things but couldn’t take his chance when clean through. 6Lionel Messi Some imperious touches and mazy runs that belied his age. Deserves to sign off on the biggest stage of them all. 9Julián Alvarez Caused huge problems for England down Argentina’s left flank all afternoon. Messi’s heir in waiting. 8Substitutes: Nicolás González (for Paredes 65) Denied equaliser by Pickford but added impetus to Argentina’s attacks, 8. Nicolás Otamendi (for L Martinez 72) Incredible that he is still playing at his age, 7. Gonzalo Montiel (for Molina 72) A massive upgrade on Molina as Argentina chased an equaliser, 7. Rodrigo De Paul (for Simeone 72) Surprise omission but made up for it by helping to change the game, 8. Lautaro Martínez (for Tagliafico 81) Argentina’s hero with a brilliant header, 8.

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Close134Enzo Fernandez equalises for Argentina against England in the 2026 World Cup semi-final at the Atlanta Stadium.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsArgentinaFollow Argentinaclose panelYou are now following ArgentinaUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Teamclose panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026

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England’s destiny is tournament heartbreak. The only question concerns when it comes and how the fates will contrive to make it as painful as possible. This was an implausibly brutal new low.Thomas Tuchel’s team had fought fire with fire on an occasion that was overloaded with shredded nerves. The first half was a physical fight; it was gripping all the same. And the possibilities seemed endless for England when Anthony Gordon put them in front shortly after half-time. A first appearance in the World Cup final since 1966 looked on.Argentina were not finished. There has been a feeling during this tournament that they are beatable, and yet nobody has beaten them. There is a reason for that. Their champion courage. They dug deep into it in the closing stages to complete one of their greatest fightbacks. That it came against England, the old enemy, made it even sweeter.The regrets belonged to England. Tuchel sought to preserve what he had in the final quarter with a switch to a back five, Ezri Konsa coming on for Gordon and playing as the right‑sided centre-half. The head coach had successfully seen out the 3-2 win against Mexico in the last 16 with five defenders on a night when his team were down to 10 men. There was no repeat here.The frustration was that the tactical shift invited Argentina to press on to the front foot. Tuchel played with fire. Argentina dominated the closing stages. It was their attack versus England’s defence and the equaliser was well signposted. That it came as late as the 86th minute only added to England’s devastation. They were so close.Enzo Fernández scored it with a fierce drive after Argentina had worked a short corner via Lionel Messi and England were floored before they could stagger on into extra time. They thought they had escaped when Alexis Mac Allister sent a low shot against the post. It was the second time he had hit the woodwork. But Messi recycled the move on the right, jinked and crossed deep. Lautaro Martínez was unmarked and when the Argentina substitute headed home England were primed to do likewise.It has been a strange tournament for Tuchel and his players, the feeling difficult to shake that the results up to this point had outstripped the performance levels. They did not do enough when it mattered the most against Argentina, especially in creative terms. They barely threatened Emi Martínez’s goal. And when defensive resilience was demanded towards the end, it was not there.Argentina deserved to advance to the final against Spain on Sunday. For England, there was only the beginnings of a familiar inquest.It was a night when the history framed everything. Nobody could ignore it and not only because of how loudly the Argentina supporters chanted the line about Las Malvinas in their World Cup song. The echoes could be felt from the pitches of Mexico 86, France 98, and Japan & South Korea 2002 – the most recent tournament clashes between the nations.The nervous tension pulsed and the first half was best summed up by the expected goals statistic: England’s stood at 0.05; Argentina’s was 0.03. The first effort on goal of any description did not arrive until the 33rd minute, John Stones heading well wide from a Declan Rice free‑kick. Fernández fizzed a drive high on 38 minutes.The tackles flew in and tempers were rarely far from boiling point. A snapshot of the first 45 minutes? It was when Messi got the better of Djed Spence in the 37th minute and then evaded challenges from Harry Kane and Gordon. A split second later, in came Elliot Anderson to halt him with a body check. The England midfielder, who revelled in the intensity of the contest, was booked. It was a long way from being the only tactical foul.England felt they shaded the war of attrition in the first half. They just had to stay patient and wait for their moment. It came in the 55th minute, shortly after Jordan Pickford had denied Julián Álvarez at the other end.One of Tuchel’s main moves at the start was to play Morgan Rogers at right midfield. The idea was to add a bit more physicality. But Rogers is a creative force and he was at the heart of the breakthrough. After Kane’s searching ball up the inside right was repelled only in part by Nico Tagliafico, Rice went wide to Rogers and it was just a lovely cross from him. Gordon worked the position on Nahuel Molina and the cool close-range finish had England in dreamland.At that point England had the belief and, in Spence, a man on a mission. The left-back had started with a determination to take on his opponents, to surge forward. He was fearless. And as Argentina tried to respond to the Gordon goal, they were denied when Spence crashed into a saving slide tackle on Giuliano Simeone. Spence celebrated it like a goal.Pickford did well to keep out a close-range Leandro Paredes header before the second-half hydration break but the tide had begun to turn. The feeling only intensified after England emerged for the final quarter in the back five. It was all Argentina. Mac Allister hit the post with a header when he had to score and Fernández forced Pickford into another save. Argentina would not be denied. England are coming home. Football is not coming with them.

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Close454Substitute Lautaro Martinez is in the right place at the right time to head home Lionel Messi's 92nd-minute cross to send Argentina to the World Cup final at the expense of England.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsArgentinaFollow Argentinaclose panelYou are now following ArgentinaUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Teamclose panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026