Wednesday 15th July 2026 – Result
This game wasn’t about football skills or strategy it was about belief – self-belief – a righteous sense of destiny that the outcome desired was the outcome possible.
All four semi-finalists had the world-class football skills, stamina and strategy to be in their games but to be a finalist more than that is needed.
What level of collective, unified, team belief; what righteous sense of destiny to see it as possible does it take to come back from 0-1 down and win 2-1?
How lacking is that same “right stuff” to lead 1-0 and be constrained by the desperation to avoid a(nother) third place playoff rather than wanting to have a dominant 3-0 win?
So the match was played with that backdrop. Gordon scores in the 55th minute for England who go fully defensive from then while Argentina get into full attack mode with pressure which produces the equaliser in the 85th (Fernandez) and the winner in the 92nd (Martinez).
A winner in the 92nd! How could that happen unless England was defeated as soon as it became 1-1 giving Argentina an effective open goal to send England to its familiar home, its customary third place playoff match?
Here are the highlights in this quickie Fifa video, no ads, opens in a new tab. England in white and Argentina in dark blue: https://www.fifa.com/en/watch/1qEChftHXdWJuKjSjEEZKV
Argentina, will defend their World Football Champions title against Spain in New York on Sunday the 19th, KO 8pm (BST) while England and France are the third-place playoff game on Saturday 18th at 10pm (BST).
Come on England!