Overview information
England and Argentina will enter a tense semi-final match because they are long-time rivals. Their opponent in the final has also been determined to be Spain, after Spain beat France 2-0.
Continuing the path traced by former coach Gareth Southgate, the England team has just reached the semi-finals of a major tournament for the fourth time since 2018, equal to the number of times they have reached the semi-finals in their entire previous history.
However, the journey was not smooth at all. After a rather difficult group stage, the England team struggled to overcome the Congo, Mexico and Norway teams in the knockout round. The Three Lions are on a 4-match winning streak, scoring at least 2 goals each match, but their weaknesses in defense still exist.
The England vs Argentina match evokes the exciting encounters of the past between the two teams. In the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals, Argentina defeated their opponent 2-1 thanks to Maradona's double, including a hand goal, and the other goal was scored after a spectacular dribbling.
At the 1998 World Cup, Argentina continued to eliminate England in the knockout round after a penalty shootout. In this match, David Beckham received a red card after fouling Diego Simeone.
Historical achievements will add strength to Albiceleste (nickname of the Argentine team). This is the 6th time they have reached the semi-finals, all five previous times they have won. Argentina is the team with the highest success rate in this round in history.
Reaching the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup is a significant effort for Messi and his teammates. They defeated newcomer Cabo Verde after 120 minutes, reversed the score to beat Egypt 3-2 after being led 0-2. In the quarter-finals, Argentina also had a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Switzerland after extra time, with a big advantage thanks to playing with more players.
That is Argentina's 13th consecutive victory since September last year, and now they are only two wins away from winning their fourth World Cup in history.
Although Scaloni's squad - mostly composed of the heroes of the 2022 Qatar World Cup - showed signs of aging, the characteristic combination of skills and fighting spirit helped them go far and goals were still continuously scored.
Lionel Messi and his teammates have scored three goals in their last 4 matches, bringing the total number of goals since the beginning of the tournament to 17, just one goal less than the record they set at the 1930 World Cup.
Scaloni can follow in the footsteps of Carlos Bilardo (World Cup 1986, 1990) to become the next coach to lead Argentina to two consecutive World Cup finals.
Force information
The problems at the right-back position of the England team are still continuing, as Jarell Quansah is still suspended while Reece James, who is often injured, is unlikely to start from the beginning.
So, either Djed Spence will return to the starting lineup, or Ezri Konsa can continue to play instead, and John Stones will partner Marc Guehi at centre-back.
In midfield, Declan Rice is expected to continue to play as a starter after recovering from illness.
In attack, Harry Kane is preparing for his 121st match wearing the national team jersey, surpassing Wayne Rooney and approaching the record of goalkeeper Peter Shilton (125 times). Harry Kane has scored 6 goals at the World Cup, equal to his teammate Bellingham. Both will play a very important role for England in the semi-finals.
With Argentina, Messi will continue to lead the attack. With 8 goals, he has a great chance to win the Golden Shoe title in this year's tournament. Either Julian Alvarez or Lautaro Martinez will pair with Messi, which makes Scaloni make a difficult decision.
Although Thiago Almada impressed after coming on as a substitute, Leandro Paredes brought better defense in midfield, so the starting lineup may not change compared to the match against Switzerland.
Expected lineups of 2 teams:
England squad: Pickford, Konsa, Stones, Guehi, O'Reilly, Rice, Anderson, Saka, Bellingham, Gordon, Kane
Argentina team: Emiliano Martinez, Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Tagliafico, Paredes, De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister, Messi, Alvarez.
