Lionel Messi once again led an Argentina comeback as they struck two late goals to beat England 2-1 and reach the World Cup final.

The world champions will have the chance to defend their title against Spain at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, with Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez getting the goals to overturn the lead Anthony Gordon had given England.

The match was gritty in the early stages, with a stop-start first half-hour eventually resulting in John Stones heading just wide from a Declan Rice free-kick.

At the other end, Fernandez's follow-up from a blocked Messi shot only just flew over the crossbar and had Jordan Pickford worried.

Argentina started the second half brightly, with Julian Alvarez getting the better of Djed Spence, but his near-post attempt was well blocked by Pickford before the striker's second effort was deflected into the side netting.

But it was England who got the opening goal with a lovely move that started deep. Lisandro Martinez acrobatically cleared, but only as far as Rice, who picked out Morgan Rogers to swing in a delightful cross that was swept home by Gordon 55 minutes in.

Spence denied Giuliano Simeone a tight-angled attempt with a brilliant last-ditch tackle, while Pickford got down sharply to reflexively keep out Nico Gonzalez's glancing header as Argentina upped the pressure.

Alexis Mac Allister threw himself onto the end of Rodrigo De Paul's peach of a cross, but thumped his header off the inside of the left post, before Gonzalez nodded across the face of goal shortly after.

Fernandez remained a threat, and moments after seeing another drive tipped over by Pickford, he bent a superb finish around the crowd and into the far side of the net after being picked out by Messi with five minutes left of normal time.

Seven minutes later, Lautaro Martinez sent the Argentina fans into raptures. Mac Allister saw a low drive rebound off the post this time, and Messi recycled it on the right, lifting another wonderful cross into the box, and the Inter striker was unmarked to thump his header into the net to secure the victory.

Argentina yet again dig deep with never-say-die spirit

As expected, it was a cagey start to the match, with neither team finding enough space to trouble their opponents, but in the end, the world champions showed their experience. 

There were 19 fouls committed and 0 shots on target in the opening half; it is the most fouls without an attempt on target in any half of football at this tournament.

In fact, this is the first World Cup match on record (since 1966) not to see a single shot in the first 30 minutes. The combined expected goals (xG) between England and Argentina in the first half was just 0.08 – the lowest in the first half of a World Cup knockout-stage match.

But while the first half lacked in quality, Gordon provided some in the second. He has been directly involved in six goals in his last seven games for England (two goals, four assists), after having just two involvements in his first 18 outings for his country (two goals).

England struggled to create anything after that, and all eyes were then on Messi, and he did not disappoint. He has now scored or assisted in 11 consecutive World Cup appearances, extending the longest-ever run by a player on record since 1966.

Including his two assists here, Messi has 12 assists in the finals, 10 of which have come in the knockout rounds. No other player on record has more than eight in total.

It was a heartbreaking end for England, who for the second time this century scored first in a World Cup semi-final but missed out on a place in the showpiece, having done the same in 2018 when they lost 2-1 to Croatia in extra time.