England face Argentina in the 2026 World Cup semifinal, with one of international soccer’s greatest rivalries set to decide the second finalist at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, United States. Lionel Scaloni’s side arrive looking to take another step toward defending their world title, while Lionel Messi continues his chase for another historic achievement.
Argentina reached this stage after a dramatic path through the tournament. In the quarterfinals, they defeated Switzerland 3-1 after extra time thanks to goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez. Messi, now 39 years old, leads the tournament with eight goals and has also broken the all-time World Cup assists record during this edition.
England, meanwhile, have enjoyed an impressive run to the semifinals and now stand between Argentina and another World Cup final. With both teams aiming for a place in Sunday’s championship match, all eyes will be on whether Messi can guide Argentina past one of their biggest rivals on the sport’s biggest stage.
