England face Argentina in the second semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Atlanta on Wednesday, with the Three Lions looking to reach only their second World Cup final, and their first since winning it at home in 1966.
It's been anything but plain sailing for England to get this far. They've been pushed in every game in the knockout stages so far, needing a big rescue from captain Harry Kane in the round of 32 against Congo DR and a defensive masterclass in the round of 16 against Mexico to win 3-2 with ten men. England then booked their spot in the semifinals courtesy of Jude Bellingham's brace against Norway to complete the turnaround.
Standing in their way now are Argentina, led by arguably the greatest player of all time in Lionel Messi. He's been in superb form, scoring eight goals at this tournament already. However, much like England, Argentina haven't had an easy path through the knockout stages. Lionel Scaloni's side needed extra time in the round of 32 and the quarterfinal, against Cape Verde and Switzerland respectively, and had to produce a stirring comeback from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16.
This will be the meeting between England and Argentina in 21 years, and their first at a World Cup since England won 1-0 in the 2002 group stage.
Here's everything you need to know about the game:
How to watch:
The match will be available on BBC One in the UK, Fox Sports in the U.S., Zee5 in India and SBS in Australia. You can also follow ESPN's live updates.
Key Details:
Date, kick-off time:
U.S. ET: 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 15
UK BST: 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 15
India IST: 12:30 a.m. Thursday, July 16
Australia AEST: 5 a.m. Thursday, July 16
Venue: Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Referee: Ismail Elfath (USA)
Team News & Predicted Lineups
England
Jordan Pickford
Reece James | Ezri Konsa | Marc Guéhi | Nico O'Reilly
Declan Rice | Elliot Anderson
Bukayo Saka | Jude Bellingham | Anthony Gordon
Harry Kane
Jarell Quansah is still suspended for England, serving the second of his two-game ban for the red card he picked up in the round-of-16 win against Mexico. Jordan Henderson's broken arm means he won't feature either, even though he was named in the official substitutes list for the quarterfinal against Norway.
Argentina
Emiliano Martínez
Nahuel Molina | Cristian Romero | Lisandro Martínez | Nicolás Tagliafico
Rodrigo De Paul | Leandro Paredes | Alexis Mac Allister | Enzo Fernández
Lionel Messi | Julián Álvarez
Talking Points
Do England need more than just Kane and Bellingham?
England have scored 13 goals at this tournament -- 12 of which have been scored by Harry Kane or Jude Bellingham. That speaks highly of their influence in this team but equally raises some concern. Of course, the nature of tournament football means that your world class player stepping up and carrying your team is often a good sign for a deep tournament run.
However, Thomas Tuchel knows that his England team need more from those around Kane and Bellingham. Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice haven't been in their optimum physical condition which hasn't helped and neither has the constant change at right-back.
However, with Reece James now fit -- and Saka making a positive impact in the last two games -- England's right-hand side will be strengthened.
Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland all exposed vulnerabilities in this Argentina side. England have Kane and Bellingham in their ranks, and if Saka can step up too, there's an argument that England are favourites to win this game.
Can Messi do it again?
Whatever England have in their locker, Argentina's response to it would be Lionel Messi. In what's been one of Argentina's most successful periods, they are now looking to make their fourth straight competition final, having won two Copa America titles either side of the last World Cup in Qatar. At the heart of it all, has been Messi.
The quarterfinal against Switzerland marked the first time that Messi didn't score in a game at this World Cup, but he was still influential, not least with his assist for Alexis Mac Allister's opening goal. Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez scoring is a massive boost for Argentina, but everything in their attack will continue to revolve around Messi.