The defending champions looked destined for defeat after Anthony Gordon gave England the lead early in the second half, but Argentina produced another dramatic comeback, with Enzo Fernández equalising in the 85th minute before Lautaro Martínez headed home the winner in stoppage time.

The victory sends Lionel Scaloni's side into Sunday's final against Spain, who secured their place by defeating France 2-0 in the other semifinal.

Argentina had already survived a series of tense knockout encounters, edging Cape Verde after extra time, overturning a two-goal deficit against Egypt, and overcoming Switzerland despite being pushed into extra time. Against England, they once again demonstrated their resilience.

England broke the deadlock in the 55th minute when Gordon finished from close range after Morgan Rogers' cross found him unmarked at the back post.

The Three Lions appeared in control for much of the contest, but their inability to retain possession after taking the lead allowed Argentina to build sustained pressure.

That pressure finally paid off five minutes from time. Messi picked out Fernández on the edge of the penalty area, and the midfielder fired a powerful low strike past Jordan Pickford to restore parity.

The decisive moment came deep into stoppage time. After Alexis Mac Allister's effort rebounded off the post, Messi recovered the loose ball on the right before delivering a pinpoint cross that Martínez headed into the net, sparking wild celebrations among the thousands of Argentina supporters inside Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

"I think this team plays its best football when we are facing adversity," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said after the match.

"We had a challenging game and a difficult situation. There was blood in the water, and we went for it."

Messi, playing what is widely expected to be his final World Cup, was again at the heart of Argentina's success, providing both assists to move the reigning champions within one victory of retaining their title.

Martínez described the winner as the fulfilment of a lifelong dream.

"The first time my dad bought me a pair of boots, I dreamed of scoring a goal like this," he said. "It was really tough today, but this team continues to show what it's made of."

For England, the defeat extended decades of heartbreak at major tournaments. Captain Harry Kane admitted his side became too passive after taking the lead.

"We're gutted," Kane said. "We played a good game for the large majority of it. Once we went 1-0 up, we seemed to just try and hold on, and at this level that's just not enough."

England manager Thomas Tuchel echoed that assessment, saying his team struggled to maintain their intensity after Gordon's goal.

"We got too passive after we scored," Tuchel said. "We conceded too many chances and couldn't keep the ball. We were very close, but we couldn't bring it over the line."

The semifinal added another memorable chapter to one of football's fiercest rivalries, with both teams producing a physical, high-intensity contest before Argentina's late surge settled the outcome.

Argentina will now face Spain in the World Cup final as they seek to become back-to-back world champions, while England will meet France in the third-place playoff.