Argentina

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, speaking to BBC Sport: "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 form losing positions. They started defending a little bit deeper and that gave us a bit of an advantage through the lines.

"Getting [Lionel] Messi on the wing was the key for us."

On whether he felt the momentum swing after England's opener: "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."

On facing Spain in the final: "It's special. It's special to win it. It's special for my country, family and team-mates. To be in back-to-back World Cup finals, it means whatever we have done is in the right path. I am so proud of everyone, especially my family."

Laura Garcia
BBC World Service reporter in New York

For the Peterson family, their love for Argentina comes from their father.

Hector Peterson is from Buenos Aires and now his wife and kids are “hinchas” (fans) too.

“The final is easy, easy. We just got to keep playing the same game we’ve been playing,” Peterson says confidently.

Micah Richards
Former England defender on BBC One

They have Lionel Messi. They have the GOAT. The greatest of all time.

Moments. We thought it could have been Bellingham or Kane, but this is why he is the king. Remarkable what he can do.

Walk around the pitch and then he comes alive when the ball comes to his feet. This genius comes into play and sometimes that is just the difference.

With Mexico and Norway they didn't have the quality on the day, but if you give Messi the time and space you will get punished.

With Mexico and Norway, they didn't have the quality on the day, but if you give Messi the time and space, you will get punished.

Argentina have reached the World Cup final for the seventh time and this is the second occasion where they have made successive finals after also doing so in 1986 and 1990.

The 2026 final between Spain and Argentina will be the first ever World Cup final between the reigning European champions, and the reigning Copa America champions.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Alan Shearer
Former England striker on BBC One at Atlanta Stadium

Argentina are World champions for a reason. It is not just about ability, it's about know-how. It is about an attitude when things are going against you, when you are suffering. It is about believing in who you are and what you are.

Argentina

Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni speaking post match: "Well, I'm lost for words. A great happiness for our country and our people. And another great happiness for this group who never stop surprising me and never know when they are beaten.

"I can tell them that we are going to try to win, we're going to leave it all out there, but the truth is that to do this is very difficult. It's very difficult for people to understand what our players have given. It is so impressive.

"We are unique. It's not arrogance, it is all heart. Today so many people arrived here to support us and for that I am truly grateful - they helped us to victory. This shirt merits us giving absolutely everything possible until the very end. To not spare anything at all."

Image source, Getty Images

Lionel Messi did not score tonight but his two assists mean he has four for the tournament.

Both he and France's Kylian Mbappe have eight goals, but Messi now moves ahead in the race for the Golden Boot as Mbappe only has three assists - with assists being the deciding factor if they both end on the same amount of goals.

• Lionel Messi (Argentina - eight goals, four assists)
• Kylian Mbappe (France - eight goals, three assists)
• Erling Haaland (Norway - seven goals)
• Jude Bellingham (England - six goals, one assist)
• Harry Kane (England - six goals, one assist)
• Ousmane Dembele (France - five goals, two assists)
• Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain - five goals, one assist)

All of the above seven, apart from Haaland, have one game left with France taking on England in the third-fourth play-off on Saturday, before Sunday's final when Spain play Argentina.

Argentina

That Lionel Messi's an alright player, eh?

We've run out of things to say about the great one. But the 39-year-old just keeps on delivering, with the help of his team-mates who, it seems, would do just about anything to see their talisman lift a second consecutive World Cup.

As I said before this match, our grandkids' grandkids will talk about this guy's greatness.

It's just a shame his first meeting with England ended this way.

Image source, Getty Images

Chris Sutton
Former England forward on BBC Radio 5 Live

There certainly needs to be questions asked about Thomas Tuchel. Looking at the game and the way the game turned that was down to his coaching. He was so super negative when he should've been positive. He could've been more positive with his substitutions. You had Ollie Watkins and Marcus Rashford on the bench. And why not take Harry Kane off when he was looking like a passenger?

He's got a lot of questions to answer.

It's a familiar tale for England.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

England

Image source, Getty Images

England defender Dan Burn, speaking to BBC Sport: "Absolutely gutted. I thought we had the gameplan pretty well for the majority of it. But obviously, when we scored, we went a bit passive and dropped off and were ultimately punished for it.

We probably conceded too many chances and if you do that, they are going to get goals. Disappointing from us. We have defended games better and seen them out. When you get that close to the World Cup final, that hurts."

On why momentum shifted after England scored: "It's only human nature a little bit as well. You know how well we have defended leads in previous games. That tends to happen to majority of teams."

On what it takes to get England over the line: "I wish I had the answer for that. I am very, very proud of what we've done this tournament. Honestly, I thought we were going to do it. I had that feeling. Really thought we had something going. It's really fine margins in this level of football. Argentina have been there and done it and it probably showed."

Chris Sutton
Former England forward on BBC Radio 5 Live

That was a coaching catastrophe from Thomas Tuchel. The fact that England get themsleves in front and then basically hand Argentina the initiative. Defending tdeep andanother defender on, it's quite a simple game football, you have to get up th pitch.

You can't expect to defend for 30 minutes against the quality Argentina had. It's all on the coach where I'm concerned. He made the changes. He was negative, so the question which I'm going to ask is how can you trust Thomas Tuchel to take this team forward?

I don't care what anyone says, England have had a generous run in this competition and they have not played well in one 90 minutes.

A World Cup semi-final, there's a big opportunity to get over the line against an average Argentina side and they didn't look average in the last 30 minutes, far from it, but I think England helped them with that.

I think that was a coaching disaster.

England

Image source, Getty Images

More from England manager Thomas Tuchel, speaking to BBC One, on if changes put more pressure on the defence: "You can discuss this with a million coaches [but] I have to make a decision on the pitch.

"I analysed the match and I did it a certain way so that's my responsibility.

"In the moment, no regrets. The team gave everything and we were very, very close. We deserved to be up 1-0.

"We played one of our better matches, maybe our best match in the circumstances. The team was top, we couldn't get over the line but no regrets.

"I think we saw the mentality throughout the match and the strong group. We played the matches how they were, we played against strong teams in the group, travelled a lot of miles, played at altitude, we played with 10 men, we played in the heat and we overcame every obstacle.

"We were very close today. It's not the moment to analyse the full tournament, we just went our because we lost a crucial match."

Paul Robinson
Former England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live at Atlanta Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

They will be absolutely gutted. It's a horrible feeling. I think there was a genuine belief around that camp that they could get to the final this year. There was a real togetherness and there's a group of players that were hurting together. And these next 24 hours are going to be horrible for these players and those supporters as well.

Let's not forget those supporters who have been following England around the US and Mexico hoping this would be the time England finally win the World Cup. Once again all that disappointment has come cashing down.

Micah Richards
Former England defender on BBC One

When England scored that first goal they should have gone for the second. Yes, you respect their quality, but dropping deep allowed Argentina to get into their flow.

For all their effort, they have been outstanding, digging in at the right moments and getting over the line. But you have to look at the manager and his decisions.

They made it too easy for Argentina in that second half.

England

Image source, Getty Images

England manager Thomas Tuchel, speaking to BBC One: "We're disappointed, we were so close but we got too passive after we scored and conceded a lot of chances.

"We could not turn the ball possession around and then conceded so many crosses, chances and shots.

"We were close but couldn't keep the level up after we scored."

On his subs: "I did also offensive substitutions in the last games, we just tried to help the players. We conceded [a chance] straight away and we decided to go to a back five because the gaps were far too open.

"They won every header, they kept crossing and crossing so we went to a back five to close the gaps inside and be strong in the air. Straight after our goal, without any substitutions, we conceded way too many crosses and way too many chances so we tried to help.

"Of course, the responsibility is on the coach and if it doesn't go well, it is easy to say it was wrong."

On thoughts of going for the second goal: "Yes but it doesn't help if you can't get the ball. We couldn't get out.

"Of course we wanted to go for the second goal but I did not have the feeling that offensive substitutions would help. We stayed in our 4-4-2 but we became passive, more and more passive.

"We couldn't win any balls, we couldn't keep the ball so I think it was not a structural problem, we changed nothing. But the match changed completely.

"It's no problem, I can understand these discussions are out there and there are millions of coaches after the game who know it better."

Tim Vickery
South American football expert on BBC Radio 5 Live

I can't believe that Spain will self-destruct in the way that England have self-destructed. England had Argentina exactly where they should've wanted them. We said at half-time that the space will open up and Argentina are terrified of England running at them.

Then it's a case of tearing them apart on the counter-attack. They had both centre backs on yellow cards. I'm baffled by the decisions the coach has taken today. He got away with a bad one at Norway and this one didn't deserve to come off. Everything Argentina wanted England to do, they did.

I'm afraid this has to be on the coach. I found the decision he made, the substitutions he made absolutely baffling. It was as if there were 30 seconds left when in reality there were 20 minutes. In the end, England had everything to close that game and win it but a defeat was thoroughly deserved.

England

Thomas Tuchel was brought in to win the World Cup for England. He has not achieved that but he has also got a contract until after the 2028 Euros.

What happens now?

The England boss is speaking to BBC Sport now. "No regrets" he says.

Full quotes coming your way soon.

Joe Hart
Former England goalkeeper on BBC One

Gareth Southgate took a lot of criticism for the big moments with England, when they had the lead in big games and shutting up shop. I don't see that anything has changed in that big moment out there. For as much praise as we have given Thomas Tuchel, for him to change it as soon as he did, that is him saying he didn't believe in his team, that he didn't think they could land any more punches on Argentina.