England 1-2 Argentina: World Cup semi-final player ratings

The Guardian UK Wednesday 15 July 2026, 21:44 UTC By Ed Aarons at Atlanta Stadium 1 min read

Key Points

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. 7 Continue reading...

Lionel Messi was at his effervescent best while Harry Kane struggled to make an impact

Jordan Pickford Had little chance with either goal. Pulled off a sensational save from González but that will be forgotten now. 7

England (LOCATION) World Cup (EVENT) Lionel Messi (PERSON) Harry Kane (PERSON) Pickford Had (PERSON) González (PERSON)

Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

Argentina defeated England 2-1 at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday to secure qualification to the World Cup final. A physical opening 45 minutes saw both teams struggle to create chances, with 11 fouls committed in the opening 24 minutes, and a combined expected goals total (xG) of just 0.08 by the end of the half. The match came to life after the restart when Argentina created the first big chance of the game through Julián Álvarez, but it was England who took the lead when Anthony Gordon...

ESPN just now

England 1-2 Argentina: World Cup semi-final player ratings

Related Stories

Player ratings: Messi gets 9/10 as Argentina beat ...

Argentina face fine for Falklands banner in semi-final win

'No regrets' - Tuchel on England's defeat against Argentina

Argentina face fine for Falklands banner in semi-final win