NEW DELHI, July 16 (IANS) After Argentina defeated England 2-1 and secured qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, the Football Association (FA) congratulated La Albiceleste for their journey to a summit clash.

In a letter addressed to the president of the AFA, Claudio Tapia, the FA president, Debbie Hewitt extended her congratulations to all members of the Argentine Football Association, in a gesture of institutional recognition between two of the most traditional federations in world football, the AFA stated in its release.

In the message, Hewitt highlighted that "Argentina once again demonstrated the quality, character and pride that make it one of the great nations of football" and described reaching a second consecutive World Cup final as "an extraordinary achievement".

The top official of the English Football Association also noted that the match played in Atlanta was "an exciting game between two teams with such distinguished football histories" and expressed their best wishes for Argentina's chances of defending the title won in Qatar 2022.

The AFA chief Claudio Tapia thanked the FA and its president, Hewitt, for the gesture, highlighting the respect and cordiality that characterise the relationship between the two institutions.

In a thrilling semifinal, Lionel Scaloni's team defeated England 2-1 in the semifinal. With this victory, Argentina will play in its second consecutive World Cup final and will once again compete for football's ultimate prize.

Argentina will face Spain in their quest to win their fourth World Cup title and add another golden chapter to Argentine football history.

Spain reached the 2026 World Cup final after a remarkably solid campaign. They debuted with a goalless draw against Cape Verde and then strung together six consecutive victories: a 4-0 thrashing of Saudi Arabia, a 1-0 win over Uruguay to secure first place in Group H, and in the knockout stage, victories against Austria (3-0), Portugal (1-0), Belgium (2-1), and France (2-0).

--IANS