England had this one. Anthony Gordon's second-half goal had the Three Lions up and dreaming of a first World Cup final since 1966, and for about 80 minutes it looked like the drought was actually ending. Then Enzo Fernandez ripped a 20-yarder past the keeper in the 85th minute, and Lautaro Martinez finished off a Messi assist in the second minute of stoppage time to complete the gut-punch. Final score: Argentina 2, England 1. No extra time needed, just a two-goal collapse in garbage time that will live in England fan nightmares for years.
Who should be blamed for England’s massive choke job? https://t.co/mJAABBZeKN
The blame game started before the final whistle even settled. Tuchel took over England hoping to be the guy who finally ends the wait, and instead he's now the manager who watched his team concede twice in five minutes with a final in sight. Barstool's crew wasted no time picking at that wound, and Mark Titus went full scorched earth on the pod, framing England as a country with nothing left to hang its hat on now that the trophy is gone again.
"They have no entertainment, they have no food, they have soccer and beans, that’s all they have… The weather is terrible, the food is terrible, the culture is terrible, the women are ugly, the men are uglier" - Mark Titus on England losing and having nothing to fall back on https://t.co/PVWu9iyiki
Things got physical after the whistle too. Video circulated of Jude Bellingham getting into it with Argentina players in the immediate aftermath, players shoving and grabbing amid the postgame scrum while a teammate lay on the pitch nearby. It's the kind of scene that happens when a team goes from one win away from the final to eliminated inside of five minutes — emotions don't exactly cool off quickly.
Jude Bellingham got into it with Argentina players after their match https://t.co/6pfyarztbY
Meanwhile, 5,000 miles away, Buenos Aires did what Buenos Aires does. The Obelisco was swallowed by a sea of blue and white, fireworks lighting up the sky as the entire country poured into the streets. Argentina is now off to face Spain in Sunday's final, chasing back-to-back titles — something no country has pulled off since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 — and the celebration made clear nobody in the country was sleeping that night.
Zero chance anyone in Argentina is sleeping tonight https://t.co/fqhLZ0QxGk
Not everyone was celebrating peacefully. Video also surfaced of police having to step in and pull an Argentina fan out of a crowd of England supporters, a reminder that this rivalry carries some real edge beyond the banter. It's not the first time an England-Argentina match has spilled emotion into the streets, and it won't be the last.
English police had to save an Argentina fan from a mob of England fans The Spurs final boss would be disgusted https://t.co/OJReMPKOZa
Barstool's Pardon My Take crew found the cruelest way to frame it, pointing out that the New York Jets — a franchise synonymous with losing — have won a championship more recently than England has. That's the kind of line that only lands because it's true, and it's been getting passed around all week as the go-to piece of mockery. England will get another crack at this in four years. Argentina, for now, gets Spain on Sunday with a chance to do something no country has managed in over 60 years.
