Atlanta [US], July 16 : Argentina striker Lautaro Martinez expressed happiness after his match-winning goal inspired Argentina to a come-from-behind 2-1 win over England in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal on Wednesday (local time) in Atlanta, saying he "dreamed it," according to the FIFA website.
The result sent Argentina into the World Cup 2026 final, where they will face Spain on Sunday, July 19 (local time), while England's hopes of reaching their first World Cup final since 1966 came to a heartbreaking end.
With the game poised at 1-1 in the regulation time, it was Lautaro's goal in the 92nd minute that gave Argentina the win. After the match, he said he had dreamed of scoring the winning goal and was delighted that his prediction came true. He praised Enzo Fernandez's equaliser and said Argentina's victory showed the team's strength and character.
"I dreamed it [the goal], I swear. I told Alexis [Mac Allister] that I was going to score. I told him that I was going to come on and I was going to win it. And it fell to me. Enzo scored a great goal too, and now that I'm calmer, I can tell you this team keeps showing what it's made of," Lautaro Martinez said as quoted by the FIFA website.
He added that England lost intensity after an hour, allowing Argentina to control possession and create chances.
"They [England] got tired. They pressed for 60 minutes. After that they had nothing left. They started when they found the goal. Then they dropped back, and that gave us more calm when it came to moving the ball. We made the pitch wide, and in the end we got the two goals, and after three and a half years we're back playing a World Cup final," he said.
In the match, England took the lead in the 55th minute through Anthony Gordon, but Argentina responded with sustained pressure. Enzo Fernandez equalised in the 85th minute before Lionel Messi assisted Lautaro Martinez's stoppage-time winner to complete the turnaround.
The match was a tightly contested affair, with both teams creating limited chances in the first half. Argentina's victory ended England's hopes of reaching their first World Cup final since 1966. The Three Lions will face France in the third-place playoff, while Argentina will meet Spain in the final on July 19 (local time).