Who: England vs Argentina
Content: 2026 FIFA World Cup – Semi-Finals 2
Location: Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Date and time: Wednesday 3pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: Get everything ready on Al Jazeera Sports from 16:00 GMT before the live text commentary stream.
Years of political history and soccer rivalry will collide in Atlanta when England take on Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals.
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From Diego Maradona’s controversial ‘Hand of God’ goal in 1986 to David Beckham’s red card for kicking Diego Simeone in 1998, sporting confrontations between England and Argentina are often theatrical, tense and tricky.
Then there is the sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands.
England and Argentina, separated by geography and conflict, are vastly different in many ways, but this World Cup they have at least one thing in common. It’s that they both have a habit of surviving on the brink.
England’s plan is simple. Find a way to stop Lionel Messi’s magical powers and reach the final for the first time in 60 years.
And what about Argentina? To improve once again and chase history with consecutive finals.
Here’s what you need to know about this semifinal.
How did England and Argentina reach the semi-finals?
England topped Group L with seven points after defeating Croatia and Panama and drawing with Ghana. They needed a second-half comeback to beat the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Round of 32, defeating co-hosts Mexico 3-2 in the Round of 16 at the iconic Azteca Stadium.
In the quarterfinals, they defeated Norway 2-1 after overtime from a one-point deficit.
Argentina performed well in the first round, defeating Algeria, Austria and Jordan to take first place in Group J. In the round of 32, they beat Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time after being pushed to the limit, and then came back from a two-goal deficit to defeat Egypt 3-2 in a controversial last-16 match that sparked allegations of referee bias.
He played the full 120 minutes in the quarterfinal match against Switzerland, resulting in a 3-1 victory.
Messi finally plays against England
From winning the World Cup to the Copa America, from the Champions League trophy to winning the Ballon d’Or and kissing the Golden Ball, Messi has achieved almost everything possible in football.
However, in his 21 years playing for the Argentina national team, there is one thing he has left unfinished. It’s against England.
The 39-year-old forward will face the Three Lions for the first time 21 years after receiving a red card early in his career that denied him a chance in a friendly in 2005.
“I’ve played against every team except England, but they’re special because they’re a major country and a strong team. It’s always nice to play against a team like that, especially in the World Cup semi-finals,” Messi said.
With eight goals in six games, Messi is enjoying an unprecedented World Cup campaign as he bids to win his first Golden Boot. As captain, he led Argentina to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to remain in the World Cup.
If they beat England, Argentina will reach the final for the third time in four World Cups, and Messi could follow in the footsteps of Brazilian great Cafu, who played in three consecutive World Cups from 1994 to 2002 – even Maradona only played in two.
“It’s not normal to reach the semi-finals again, it’s a commonplace. This is something to really enjoy because you don’t know if it will happen again,” Messi said.
Pickford backs England to keep calm in tense clash
England hasn’t seen a team lift a big trophy for generations. Their only success came in 1966 when they hosted the World Cup.
But the current side, headlined by the dynamic duo of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, are just a few steps away from making history by not only winning their second trophy, but their first on foreign soil.
But ahead of the game, Thomas Tuchel’s side know the pressure is firmly on them, but goalkeeper Jordan Pickford believes his team can handle it.
“You’ve seen throughout the tournament that we have a passion for winning tackles. There’s been no scuffles or anything like that,” he said on Monday.
“We’ve been very well-respected in the game. Decisions go our way (or) they don’t go our way. We just reset, move forward again and let the football do the talking.”
England, who are fourth in the FIFA rankings and two places below Argentina, will advance to the semi-finals for the fourth time in the last five major tournaments.
England vs Argentina predictions
As of Tuesday, Opta’s supercomputer gave England a 39.1 per cent chance of winning in regulation time and a 31.6 per cent chance for Argentina.
The model estimates a 29.3% chance of a game going into overtime.
Who is the referee for England vs Argentina?
Referee: Ismail Elfus (USA) Assistant referee 1: Corey Parker (USA) Assistant referee 2: Kyle Atkins (USA) Fourth referee: Maurizio Mariani (Italy) Reserve assistant referee: Daniele Bindoni (Italy)
England vs Argentina: Kick-off time and where to watch
UK: BBC One, BBC iPlayer (8pm BST) Argentina: TyC Sports, TyC Play (4pm ADT) US: Fox, Fox One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network, Peacock, Universo (3pm EDT)
To see the TV listings for your country, visit the FIFA TV listings schedule here.
Where will England vs Argentina be played?
England will face Argentina in the second semi-final at Atlanta Stadium, commonly known as Mercedes-Benz Stadium, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. It will be the last of seven World Cup matches to be held at the 68,239-capacity venue.
Boasting a retractable roof and a 360-degree halo video display, the stadium is arguably the most space-age architecture of the 16 host cities.
What’s the weather forecast for Atlanta?
AccuWeather is forecasting rain Wednesday afternoon. It says, “Sometimes there is sunshine that rains like thunder.”
England vs Argentina: head-to-head
Overall, they have played against each other 14 times in official matches and friendlies.
In terms of head-to-head results, England leads with six wins, while Argentina have three wins. Five matches ended in draws.
England vs Argentina: past results
England 3-2 Argentina (International Friendly, 2005) England 1-0 Argentina (2002 World Cup, Group Stage) England 0-0 Argentina (International Friendly, 2000) Argentina 2-2 England (PK 4-3, 1998 World Cup, Round of 16) England 2-2 Argentina (Challenge Cup, 1991)
Who will the winner face in the final and when?
The winner of the Argentina-England semi-final will face either France or Spain in Sunday’s final at New Jersey Stadium in New York.
England vs Argentina: Team news
England midfielder Declan Rice, who is battling illness, is doubtful, while veteran player Jordan Henderson is sidelined with a wrist injury.
No injuries were reported at the Argentina camp.
England’s expected line-up
(4-1-3-2): Pickford. Konsa, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly. Rice, Anderson. Maduke, Bellingham, Gordon. Kane
Argentina’s projected lineup
(4-1-3-2): Martinez. Molina, Romero, Lisandro, Tagliafico. Paredes. De Paul, Fernandes, Mac Allister. messi, alvarez
