The Argentina men’s national football team is set to take on England in the World Cup 2026 semifinal on Wednesday. The match will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia and is set to kick off at 4 p.m. Argentina time.

It has been a bumpy road for Argentina into the semifinals. The Albiceleste beat Algeria 3-0, Austria 2-0, and Jordan 3-1 in a nearly flawless group stage. However, it had to fight hard across back-to-back 3-2 wins against Cape Verde — in extra time —  and a miracle comeback from two goals down against Egypt. 

In the quarterfinals, Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1. However, head coach Lionel Scaloni’s team was overpowered for long stretches of the match and only gained the upper hand after the Swiss were reduced to 10 men following a dive to simulate a foul earned forward Breel Embolo a second yellow card and an automatic send-off.

With little in the way of physical problems, Argentina is likely to line up with Emiliano Dibu Martínez in goal and a back four of Nahuel Molina, Cristian Cuti Romero, Lisandro Martínez, and Nicolás Tagliafico.

In midfield, the trio of Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister will likely be joined by Boca Juniors’ Leandro Paredes, with Julián Álvarez and star and captain Lionel Messi up top.

‘A unique game’

Argentine players spoke to the press ahead of the final training session in the build up to the game. 

Scaloni attempted to defuse tensions in his press conference after securing the semifinal spot last Saturday, saying the game was “just a football match, nothing else.” His sentiment was echoed by several groups representing Malvinas War veterans.

However, midfielder Rodrigo de Paul admitted there’s something special about it.

“I love these kinds of games — they motivate me,” he said. “There’s something special about them that really brings out a lot in me. I’ve never faced England before, and I’m looking forward to it with a mix of excitement and anxiety.”

However, he added he hopes fans “go to enjoy the spectacle,” calling it a “unique game,” and insisted the squad is “receptive to all that energy the fans send [their] way.”

Gonzalo Montiel, who scored the deciding penalty in the Qatar 2022 final shootout, said the team is “ready for another semifinal.”

“Being back at this stage is a dream, a privilege — and even more so to play in this shirt,” he said. 

Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister said that the team wants to “represent our country in the best possible way” and that Argentina won’t negotiate their style of play when facing a much tougher rival than in the previous stages.

“We have a very clear vision,” he said. “We always play the same way, and we’re not going to change that.”

Malvinas imagery banned ahead of the game

Games between Argentina and England are some of the most historically charged duels in football, particularly at a World Cup.

The two share crucial military history, most notably the 1982 Malvinas War, but also the 19th-century English invasions of Buenos Aires and the 1845 blockade of the city’s port.

Argentine Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva confirmed on Tuesday that Argentine fans attending the game will be banned from carrying signs or flags with “any kind of provocative message, whether political, racial, or otherwise.”

Although Monteoliva didn’t specifically confirm it, the ban will likely include any kind of message alluding to the Malvinas War, one of the biggest points of tension between Argentines and the English.

England’s path

It hasn’t been smooth sailing for the English national team either in reaching the semis. The team coached by Germany’s Thomas Tuchel has several standout players, led by Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, but performances have been marked by ups and downs.

In the group stage, they debuted with a 4-2 win over Croatia, but then struggled to manage more than a 0-0 tie against Ghana in a hard-fought game, before closing out the group stage with a comfortable 2-0 win over Panama.

In the round of 32, DR Congo pushed them all the way, taking the lead with a goal from Brian Cipenga just seven minutes in. Kane rescued them with just 15 minutes remaining, scoring two goals to send England into the next round.

Mexico gave Tuchel’s team another run for their money, dominating the game at times and forcing the English to defend a 3-2 lead with ten men over half an hour.

In the quarterfinals, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham stepped up this time. He first tied the game — in a play where the ball is under suspicion of hitting the camera wires at the beginning — and then doubling his tally at the start of extra time to give his team the win.

English pundit’s heat up the game

Argentina has been under intense fire ahead of the game, not least from former England players, who appear to be very confident of a win for the Three Lions.

“We’ll have to put [Messi] to bed, we’ll put him to bed,” said former Chelsea forward Joe Cole. “I’m saying it now, we’re going to the World Cup final. We’ve got too much face for Argentina.”

His confidence has been echoed by other former internationals who work as pundits for several United Kingdom outlets.

“I don’t worry about Argentina,” said another former Chelsea man, John Terry. “I’m not worried they’re better than us. I think man for man we’re better than Argentina.”

The centerback went on to admit that the Albiceleste’s greater experience in deciding stages of tournaments “could serve them well.”

Another who took a shot at Scaloni’s men was former Manchester United defender Gary Neville, who argued the team’s centerbacks “epitomise Argentina better than anybody else.”

“Lisandro Martínez and Cristian Romero seem to give a goal away between them every single game, and then they’re scoring goals and being everywhere,” he said.

Editorial disclaimer: Although the UK refers to the territory as the “Falkland Islands”, Argentina strongly contests this name. The Buenos Aires Herald uses “Malvinas” to refer to the islands.