FIFA World Cup: What to know about Argentina as they advance to the final
Spain defeats France, advances to World Cup final
Tuesday, Spain defeated France 2-0 to advance to the World Cup final. The team will play the winner of Wednesday's match between England and Argentina.
Argentina has advanced to the final in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating England 2-1 at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday.
Here’s what to know about the team.
When was the last time Argentina made the World Cup final?
Argentina are the defending World Cup champions.
They made it to the final at the last tournament in 2022, where they defeated France in a historic penalty shootout.
Enzo Fernandez #24 and Nicolas Otamendi #19 of Argentina celebrate with teammates after the 2-1 win as Jude Bellingham #10 of England reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi Final match between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium on July 15,
When was the last time they won the World Cup?
Argentina has won the entire tournament 3 times in their history:
- 2022: Led by Lionel Messi to victory in Qatar.
- 1986: Led by the legendary Diego Maradona to victory in Mexico.
- 1978: Won their first title on home soil in Buenos Aires.
When was the last time they made the semifinals?
Because they won it all in 2022, their last semifinal appearance was also that year, when they beat Croatia 3-0.
Who is Argentina’s coach?
Lionel Scaloni is the historic manager of Argentina who transitioned from a caretaker role to leading the national team to victory at the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Lionel Messi still breaking records
At 38 years old, soccer icon Lionel Messi is still dominating the world stage. He has scored eight goals in the 2026 tournament.
Even more historic, during this tournament run, he officially broke the all-time record for the most assists in World Cup history.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from reporting by ESPN, FOX Sports, The Associated Press and previous reporting by FOX Local. This story was reported from San Jose.