England will attempt to reach their first World Cup final in sixty years when they face defending champions Argentina in the second semi-final of the 2026 tournament, at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Wednesday. Both sides arrive having needed extra time to advance: Argentina overcame Switzerland 3-1, with Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez scoring in the additional period after Dan Ndoye had equalised for the Swiss, while England edged past Norway 2-1 thanks to a Jude Bellingham brace.

Manager Thomas Tuchel used his pre-match press conference to play down the historical weight of the fixture, which includes England's controversial 1986 quarter-final defeat to Diego Maradona's Argentina. The German coach said he did not think the team should look back at history, since it had no bearing on the current squad and would not help them, while acknowledging that the rivalry carries deep cultural significance for Argentine supporters. On the opposing captain, Tuchel was unreserved in his praise: he said he had no words to describe Messi's tournament and explained that his coaching staff had considered man-marking the Argentine captain, while admitting he remains extremely difficult to contain. VAVELInfobae

England's build-up has not been entirely smooth. Tuchel had publicly questioned his team's performance following the narrow win over Norway, prompting a pointed response from Bellingham, who argued that winning ugly is sometimes part of tournament football. Captain Harry Kane sought to calm tensions by backing his manager's demands for a higher standard. Argentina's camp, by contrast, has projected calm confidence: midfielder Rodrigo De Paul highlighted the connection between the squad and supporters following from home, while Alexis Mac Allister invoked memories of Maradona's 1986 heroics, though he conceded that only Messi might be capable of something similar on this stage.

Scaloni has kept his starting eleven under wraps, hinting at possible changes from the side that beat Switzerland while insisting the team is already set in his mind. Right-back Gonzalo Montiel is among the players pushing for a starting role. England are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 with Jordan Pickford in goal; Djed Spence, John Stones, Marc Guéhi and Nico O'Reilly across the back four; Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice anchoring midfield; Bukayo Saka, Bellingham and Anthony Gordon supporting; and Kane leading the line — though fitness concerns over Rice and Ezri Konsa could force late adjustments.

Beyond the football, England's squad carries the second-highest market value among the semi-finalists behind France, led by Bellingham, Rice and Saka, all products of the Premier League's financial power. Argentina's value lies less in transfer fees and more in experience: this marks Scaloni's second World Cup semi-final in charge, following the side's triumph in Qatar 2022. American referee Ismail Elfath has been appointed for Wednesday's match, kicking off at 21:00 CET (16:00 in Argentina).

The winner will meet either Spain or France in Sunday's final, after the two European sides met in Tuesday's semi-final in Dallas. For England, victory would mean a first World Cup final appearance since 1966; for Argentina, a second consecutive final after Qatar 2022, with Messi seeking to add one more chapter to his already historic World Cup legacy.