Argentina’s dramatic comeback victory over England was more than just another classic FIFA World Cup match. It produced historic firsts, unwanted records and individual milestones that will be remembered long after the final whistle.

From Lionel Messi extending one of the longest scoring involvement streaks of his legendary career to England suffering another painful semi-final exit after taking the lead, here are the standout numbers from one of the tournament’s biggest matches.

Argentina keep building their World Cup legacy

By reaching the final, Argentina qualified for their seventh FIFA World Cup final, moving clear in second place on the all-time list behind only Germany, who have appeared in eight.

Even more impressively, Argentina have now reached back-to-back World Cup finals for just the second time in their history, having previously achieved the feat in 1986 and 1990.

The victory also completed one of the greatest late turnarounds ever seen in a World Cup semi-final. Argentina were still trailing until the 85th minute, making this the latest comeback from behind to win in normal time in a World Cup semi-final since records began.

England make unwanted history again

England looked set for another famous night after Anthony Gordon opened the scoring, but history repeated itself.

Having won their first-ever World Cup semi-final in 1966, the Three Lions have now lost each of their last three appearances at this stage of the competition (1990, 2018 and 2026).

There is another painful statistic for England supporters. Since the turn of the century, only two teams have scored first in a World Cup semi-final and still failed to reach the final—and both were England.

The first came against Croatia in 2018, while Argentina inflicted the same heartbreak eight years later.

Messi continues an extraordinary run

Lionel Messi once again delivered on the biggest stage.

The Argentina captain has now either scored or assisted in each of his last 13 appearances for club and country. It is the second-longest scoring involvement streak of his senior career, surpassed only by a remarkable run of 14 consecutive matches that ended in March 2011.

Long-range brilliance defines Argentina’s tournament

Enzo Fernández’s stunning equaliser added another chapter to Argentina’s spectacular tournament from distance.

It was Argentina’s fifth goal from outside the penalty area at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, equalling the highest total ever recorded by any team in a single edition of the tournament since detailed records began in 1966.

One of the strangest starts in World Cup history

The opening stages were incredibly cautious.

The first shot of the entire match did not arrive until the 33rd minute, when John Stones tried his luck from distance. That is officially the latest first shot ever recorded in a FIFA World Cup match since records began in 1966.

England then scored with remarkable efficiency. Anthony Gordon’s goal after 55 minutes came from England’s first shot on target and only their second attempt of the match.

Kane reaches another England milestone

Despite the defeat, Harry Kane reached another landmark in his international career.

The striker made his 121st appearance for England in all competitions, becoming the outright most-capped outfield player in the nation’s history.

A historic final awaits

Argentina’s victory has also set up a unique championship match.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final will be the first ever to feature the reigning UEFA European champions (Spain) against the reigning CONMEBOL Copa América champions (Argentina), guaranteeing another historic chapter in football’s biggest tournament.