England were beaten 2-1 by Argentina in the World Cup semi-final after taking the lead through Anthony Gordon - but it all ended in familiar fashion to end England's hopes of ending 60 years of World Cup hurt
Emiliano Martinez of Argentina
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 15: Emiliano Martinez of Argentina in action during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi Final match between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium on July 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Masashi Hara/Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Aston Villa keeper Emi Martinez has revealed how Argentina beat England in the World Cup semi-finals, putting the blame firmly at the door of Thomas Tuchel's tactics.
Excitement had swept through the nation when Anthony Gordon fired England ahead 10 minutes into the second half — following a tense, goalless first 45 minutes — but that was extinguished as Enzo Fernandez equalised 85 minutes in. The mood darkened further when Lautaro Martinez put Argentina ahead in the 92nd minute.
Post-match, many fans were critical of Tuchel's in-game management, choosing defensive substitutions and trying to hold the game at 1-0.
For Argentina, it seemed to be the moment that gave them a new lease of life and a route to a comeback that would break English hearts.
That was backed up by Villa keeper Martinez in his post match interview, he stated: "It was crazy. I thought we played really well in the first half. We dominated them. We know how strong they are in set-pieces and how physical they are. I've played there for 16 years and I know them really well.
"We moved the ball well. They went in front with one cross into the box with only one in the box and they scored. We had the experience of coming back from losing positions.
"They started defending a little bit deeper and that gave us a bit of an advantage through the lines. Getting Messi on the wing was the key for us."
Emiliano Martinez of Argentina
Emiliano Martinez of Argentina
View 2 Images
"We felt it. We felt them going backwards and backwards rather than going forward. Sometimes when you are winning, you have to go forward anyway. You can't change the gameplan. I think they did it and they put extra defenders."
Aston Villa themselves came under-fire from fans after the game when they posted a congratulations message on X to their keeper on reaching the final of the competition.
It read: "Congratulations to Emi Martínez on reaching a second successive World Cup Final." - it was accompanied by an Argentinian flag.
It sparked quite a response from supporters on the timing of the post;
Villa McVillaerton: An English club posting like this. Wow, how far we have fallen
Dom: Probably should’ve waited a day to post this tbf.
Bristow: English club celebrating a player knocking England out? Read the room admin
Mark Middleton: We got beat by a better team fair and square, no point in hating our Goalkeeper for it just scroll on.
Adam: Really not the time to post this is it
Rob: I'm a villa fan but no congrats from me
While the post may have inflamed the feelings of hurt from supporters, Villa also took time to commiserate with their English representatives, and have stayed consistent through the tournament in their support of their players.
John Townley
John Townley
You can follow our dedicated reporter John Townley on X by clicking here - he follows Villa home and away and offers you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between.
So much happens day to day and sometimes you can struggle to keep on top of the very latest updates as and when they occur - that's why we have produced a daily newsletter which you can sign up to, for free, and which means you'll have a round-up of the key stories land in your email inbox.
You'll also get competition offers and stories around discounts on Villa merchandise.
Sign up to the Villa newsletter here.
WhatsApp: You can also get all your favourite content from BirminghamLive's Villa team on WhatsApp. Click here to sign up for breaking updates about the biggest stories in and around the club.If you prefer reading our Villa stories on your phone, consider downloading the BirminghamLive app, in which you can personalise the content you see by selecting Villa as one of your designated topics. You can get it from Apple here and for Android here.
Social: We have a Facebook page waiting for you with daily updates, some of which we don't post anywhere else - click here
You can also folllow our Villa updates on X - here
Podcast: Our weekly Aston Villa podcast, Claret And Blue, is also available to watch and listen on all major streaming services. You can subscribe to the YouTube channel here, while you can access the podcast on Spotify here and via Apple here.
Midlands Football editor Steve Wollaston said: "We pride ourselves on covering all the topics of interest to Villa fans, from tactics and team news to kit launches and transfer rumours. Signing up for our newsletter means you won't miss anything that's happening at Villa Park and Bodymoor Heath."
Our Villa newsletter is already a huge success, so don't miss out - just sign up today and you will automatically receive all the headline news straight to your phone, tablet or computer.