England face Argentina in the FIFA World Cup semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday, with a place in the final and a first World Cup title shot since 1966 on the line.
The match pits two of the tournament’s most compelling storylines against each other. Lionel Messi, chasing a second consecutive World Cup winner’s medal at what is likely his final tournament, leads an Argentina side looking to defend the title they claimed in Qatar. England, meanwhile, arrive with genuine belief after years of near-misses — and a squad capable of matching them.
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham share the lead among England’s scorers, each with six goals in the tournament. They will face a defensive line anchored by Cristian Romero and Leandro Paredes, two of the more combative presences in world football. On the other end, Marc Guéhi and Nico O’Reilly carry the responsibility of keeping Messi quiet — a task that has defeated most defences in this competition.
The midfield contest is equally weighted. Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson will need to impose themselves against Argentina’s experienced core of Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, and Enzo Fernández — a quartet with the depth to dominate if given space.
Between the posts, Jordan Pickford and Emiliano Martínez renew a rivalry that stretches back to the 2022 World Cup final penalty shootout, when Martínez famously kept Argentina alive.
On the touchline, Lionel Scaloni seeks to become only the second manager to win consecutive World Cups. Thomas Tuchel, still finding his footing as England manager, faces the most consequential 90 minutes of his tenure.
Kick-off is at 11:00pm UAE time.
