More than 24 million people tuned in to watch England’s World Cup defeat by Argentina on BBC One and iPlayer, making the game the most-watched UK broadcast of the year.

Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez struck late goals to snatch a 2-1 win over England, sending Lionel Messi’s reigning champions into the weekend showpiece match against Spain.

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Just when England appeared set for victory after Anthony Gordon’s second-half goal, Argentina mounted a relentless late siege and got their reward as Fernandez levelled before Martinez completed the turnaround in the 92nd minute, with Messi providing the pass for the equaliser and the cross for the winner.

The painful night for England fans was witnessed by an average of 15 million on BBC One, peaking at 21.5 million. This beat England’s quarter-final win over Norway, which peaked at 16.8 million on ITV. Just over 9 million stayed up into the small hours to watch England’s delayed 3-2 win over Mexico in the round of 16, also shown on the BBC.

It was also the biggest live TV event in the UK since the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley, when Italy defeated England on penalties.

BBC director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, said: “Last night may not have brought the result England fans were hoping for, but it was another occasion that united millions across the UK in support of the team. Audiences came together on the BBC to witness a World Cup semi-final that captured the emotion, drama and pride that football can deliver.

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“Throughout this tournament, audiences have turned to the BBC not just for the live matches, but to share in the stories, the analysis and the moments that bring the nation together. The extraordinary reach of our coverage across TV, iPlayer, BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport website, app and socials, reflects the enduring power of major sporting events to create shared experiences on a remarkable scale.

“We’re incredibly proud to have been alongside audiences throughout England’s World Cup journey, bringing every moment to fans across the UK. While England’s campaign has come to an end, the story of this World Cup is not over. Sunday’s Final promises to be another unforgettable occasion, and we’ll be there to bring audiences every moment as Argentina and Spain battle to become world champions.”

England are not done yet and must play France in the third-place play-off game on Saturday in Miami, kicking off at 10pm BST, which will be broadcast live on the BBC.

“None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match,” under-fire England manager Thomas Tuchel said. “They want to play the final. We gave everything to achieve that. Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but that’s how it is. We have one less day of recovery than France, but we will do it with professionalism.”

Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain will be shown both on BBC Sport and ITV in the UK.