COLOMBO (News 1st) - Defending champions Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final against England in the semi-final showdown yesterday.The match held at the Atlanta Stadium in the United States saw a crowd of over 68,000 spectators.In a thrilling encounter, neither side managed to find the back of the net in the first half.England's Anthony Gordon scored the opening goal of the match in the 55th minute.Thirty minutes later, Enzo Fernandez equalized for Argentina.Argentina's winning goal came in the second minute of stoppage time, with Lautaro Martinez finding the net.The match ended with a 2-1 victory for the defending champions Argentina.Three times FIFA World Cup champions Argentina had previously reached the World Cup final six times.This will be their seventh FIFA World Cup final appearance.Accordingly, the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final will be contested between defending champions Argentina and Spain.The final will be played on the 20th of this month at the New York-New Jersey Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 12:30 a.m. Sri Lanka time.The third-place playoff between France and England will be played on the 19th at 2:30 a.m. Sri Lanka time.Fans can watch all the matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup live on Sirasa TV and TV1.
