England and Argentina will face each other in the second semifinal of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Wednesday, July 15th, at 3pm local time (19:00 GMT) at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. This match marks a renewal of their World Cup rivalry after 24 years, highlighted by the clash between England's Harry Kane and Argentina's Lionel Messi.

The rivalry between the two nations is steeped in history, from Diego Maradona's controversial “Hand of God” goal in 1986 to David Beckham's red card in 1998. Both teams have shown resilience in the tournament; Argentina overcame a tough round of 32 match against Cape Verde in extra time and a comeback victory against Egypt in the last 16, which was marked by allegations of officiating bias. In the quarterfinals, Argentina played a full 120 minutes to secure a 3-1 win against Switzerland.

Should Argentina defeat England, they would reach their third World Cup final in four tournaments. Lionel Messi could join the ranks of Brazil’s Cafu, who appeared in three consecutive finals from 1994 to 2002, a feat even Maradona did not achieve.

Ahead of the match, Thomas Tuchel, England's coach, expressed confidence, stating, “We have not peaked yet.” Fans can follow the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 16:00 GMT, with live text commentary available during the game.

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