A high level of security will be in place in the host city as a precaution against potential crowd trouble among fans.
Published July 15, 2026
Police in Atlanta are preparing for the World Cup semifinal between Argentina and England, a match seen as having a high risk of trouble given the history of hostility between the two countries.
The Atlanta Police Department announced Wednesday that it will increase security and take proactive measures as a result of ongoing security assessments.
The stadium in downtown Atlanta typically hosts the NFL and Major League Soccer.
Although there were reports of minor disruptions before the match started, the atmosphere was calm on Wednesday morning, with fans gathering in cafes and bars, or playing cards and waiting outside the stadium.
Although there was a deadly clash in Mexico earlier in the tournament as fans celebrated, this World Cup has largely been free of the violent chaos that marred some matches in the 1980s and 1990s.
Still, authorities are taking no chances. For the first time in this tournament, rival fans will be led through separate entrances to the stadium.
The conflict between Argentina and England dates back decades and stemmed from both disputes over soccer matches and geopolitical tensions. The conflict escalated in 1982 following a military conflict between the two countries over the Falkland Islands/Malvinas Islands and southern Georgia in the South Atlantic.
Argentina’s security minister said Argentine fans would not be allowed to bring flags or banners asserting Argentina’s sovereignty over the islands into the stadium.
FIFA rules prohibit bringing items of political expression into stadiums, but early in the tournament in Los Angeles, Iranian-Americans entered the stadium carrying flags protesting the government in Tehran, and the match proceeded without incident.
