England entered the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup after a 2-1 victory over Norway in a 120-minute tense match. Jude Bellingham became a hero with a double, continuing to affirm his position in the "Three Lions" shirt.
On the other side, Argentina also went through a difficult match against Switzerland. The defending champion needed extra time to defeat the opponent with a final score of 3-1.
In terms of head-to-head record at the World Cup, England is slightly better with three wins after five previous encounters. However, Argentina has an advantage in the knockout matches when winning in two of the three decisive encounters.
The predestined relationship between the two teams began at the 1962 World Cup, when England defeated Argentina 3-1 in the group stage. 4 years later, the "Three Lions" continued to overcome the South American representative with a score of 1-0 in the quarterfinals on the journey to win the first and only world championship.
Argentina also made an unforgettable mark at the 1986 World Cup with a 2-1 victory over England in the quarter-finals. The match went down in history with a "hand of God" goal and a solo called "goal of the century" by Diego Maradona.
At the 1998 World Cup, the two teams drew 2-2 after 120 minutes of play before Argentina won 4-3 in a penalty shootout. The last time they met at the World Cup was in 2002, when England won 1-0 thanks to a successful penalty by David Beckham.
After more than two decades, England and Argentina have reunited at the World Cup in the context that both are facing the opportunity to win tickets to the final. This confrontation is therefore of special significance, not only in terms of expertise but also because of the long history between the two football backgrounds.
The match between England and Argentina takes place at 2:00 AM on July 16 (Vietnam time).
