World Cup 2026: How Argentina earned its spot in the final

Round of 32: 3-2 win over Cabo Verde in extra time

Argentina's reward for winning its group outright was a relatively easy Round of 32 draw against World Cup minnow Cabo Verde...but after racking up three draws in its opening three matches and exiting its own group stage with an undefeated record, Cabo Verde proved itself to be a minnow with teeth. It fought back twice to tie Argentina and take it into extra time; a 111th-minute own goal handed the albiceleste the win, but Cabo Verde left the match with all the plaudits.

Messi scored the opener in this game to take his 2026 World Cup tally up to seven, but it was Cabo Verde fullback Sidny Lopes Cabral's mind-bending 103rd-minute screamer that lingered in the public's memory. Goal of the tournament? Probably.

Round of 16: 3-2 win over Egypt

Argentina got this one over the line in regular time, but only just: Enzo Fernandez sealed victory for the albiceleste in the third minute of added time. 

Egypt played brilliantly here. It opened the scoring in the 15th minute, then doubled its advantage midway through the second half, but its two-goal lead wasn't enough to keep manic Argentina at bay. There were plenty in Egypt who cried foul at the final result, though: a controversial chalked-off Egypt goal and a few uncalled Argentina infractions left many wondering if FIFA was conspiring to get the albiceleste back in the World Cup final at any cost. The team's reliance on referee calls in this match earned it an ignominious nickname: VAR-gentina.

Quarterfinal: 3-1 win over Switzerland in extra time

Argentina needed a dominant, controversy-free win in the quarterfinals to shake off the shouts of "VAR-gentina", but unfortunately, it didn't quite get one. With the game tied at 1-1 in the 72nd minute and Switzerland in the ascendancy, referee Joao Pinheiro sent off Swiss striker Breel Embolo for a harsh, but fair, diving infraction. It was the second application of FIFA's new "mistaken identity" rule at this World Cup and the first application with red-card consequences.

The call was the right one: Embolo committed the offense he was punished for and deserved his marching orders. Neutrals didn't seem to care. Argentina took a beating in the press for being a beneficiary of perceived favoritism once again, and its big-hearted comeback against the Swiss was largely swept under the rug.

Semifinal: 2-1 win over England

This was the game Argentina needed to clear its name. No favoritism, no controversial calls, no drama: just two excellent teams going at it for 90 minutes with Argentina coming out on top against the odds. England took the lead here thanks to an Anthony Gordon stunner in the second half, but Argentina—now no stranger to a knockout-round comeback—piled the pressure on the Three Lions and sealed the match through Lautaro Martinez in the 92nd minute. Messi provided assists for both Argentina goals to keep his Golden Boot campaign on track.

Argentina will take on Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday, July 19 in East Rutherford, NJ.